^H  OF  P8I^Y??>. 


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B5r?„B 


AN 


AMERICAN   COMMENTARY 


ON  THE 


OLD  TESTAMENT 


PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN    BAPTIST   PUBLICATION    SOCIETY 

1630   CHESTNUT    STREET 


The  Book  of  Leviticus 


/ 

BY 

GEORGE   F.  GENUNG,  D.  D. 


Copyright  1905  by  the 
Ameeican  Baptist  Publication  Society 


Published  March,  1906 


jfrom  tbe  Society's  own  iptcss 


IKTEODUCTION 


The  name  "Leviticus"  is  the  one  given  to  this  section  of  the  Pentateuch 
in  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate  versions.  It  is  an  adjective,  the  word  ''book" 
being  understood  with  it.  The  Levitical  book  is  thus  named  from  its  subject — the 
book  of  Levitical  laws.  In  the  Hebrew  it  is  designated,  as  it  was  the  Hebrew  habit 
to  do,  from  its  opening  word,  ^'^p"'!,  ivayyiqra\  "and  called,"  sc.  Jehovah.  It  is 
probable  that  originally  the  book  was  not  set  off  by  itself,  but  was  simply  ten  out 
of  the  fifty-four  sections  into  which  the  whole  of  the  Mosaic  writings  was  divided 
— a  division  which  still  remains  in  our  Hebrew  Bibles.  But  by  the  time  of  St. 
Jerome  even  the  rabbins  had  adopted  the  pentateuchal  division,  giving  to  each  of 
the  five  books  the  name  of  its  opening  section. 

In  Leviticus  is  described  the  inauguration  of  the  full  system  of  sacrificial  wor- 
ship. It  is  almost  entirely  made  up  of  legislation.  Ordinances  and  institutions 
of  a  ceremonial  nature  occur  also  in  other  parts  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  the  account 
of  these  is  usually  incorporated  by  the  author  in  a  narrative  giving  the  occasion 
for  their  rise.  This  method  is  followed  to  some  extent  in  Leviticus,  but  here  the 
laws  predominate  very  largely  over  the  history.  Of  pure  narrative,  indeed,  we 
have  but  little  ;  the  account  of  the  consecration  of  the  priests  (chap.  8,  9),  of  the 
death  of  Aaron's  sons  (chap.  10),  in  consequence  of  which  not  only  the  immediately 
following  legislation  but  the  rites  of  the  Day  of  Atonement  (chap.  16)  seem  to  have 
been  instituted,  and  the  story  of  the  blasphemer  (24  :  10,  seq.),  to  w^hich  are  attached 
the  laws  regarding  blasphemy  and  retaliation,  being  the  entire  extent  of  the  strictly 
narrative  portion.  So  predominantly  is  the  book  taken  up  with  regulations  regard- 
ing worship  and  ceremonial  purification,  or  with  moral  precepts  which  are  inter- 
esting from  a  priestly  point  of  view,  that,  as  compared  with  other  books  of  Scrip- 
ture, it  has  an  unusual  unity,  and  is  fitly  called  the  Levitical  book,  or  book  of 
priestly  laws. 

The  book  naturally  divides  itself  into  two  parts  followed  by  a  supplementary 
chapter.  The  first  part,  which  consists  of  the  first  sixteen  chapters,  contains  the 
fundamental  laws  of  sacrifice,  purification,  and  atonement.  The  laws  of  the  five 
principal  types  of  sacrifice  occupy  the  first  five  chapters  and  seven  verses  of  the 
sixth,  which  in  our  Hebrew  Bibles  are  attached  to  the  fifth  chapter.  Then  follows 
a  manual  of  priestly  directions  under  eight  heads,  giving  certain  regulations  to  be 
observed  by  the  priests  in  sacrificing  the  various  off'erings  and  by  the  people  in  eat- 
ing the  peace  off'erings  ;  defining  the  priest's  share  in  the  burnt,  meal,  and  peace 
off'erings,  and  inserting  the  ritual  of  the  guilt  off'ering,  which  was  omitted  when  that 
off'ering  was  introduced  and  defined  in  the  fifth  chapter.  Then  follows  a  narrative 
portion,  giving  an  account  of  the  consecration  of  the  priests  and  their  entry  upon 
office,  copied  almost  exactly,  with  a  change  of  tense,  from  the  directions  for  that 
ceremonial  given  in  Exod.  29.     This  takes  up  the  eighth  and  ninth  chapters,  and 

V 


vi  INTKODUCTION 


is  followed  in  the  tenth  chapter  by  the  story  of  the  sad  fate  of  Nadab  and  Abihu, 
with  some  regulations  and  incidents  growing  out  of  it.  The  subject  of  uncleanness 
and  purification  occupies  the  whole  group  of  chapters  eleven  to  fifteen,  the  eleventh 
chapter  legislating  regarding  clean  and  unclean  animals,  the  twelfth  in  regard  to  pur- 
ification after  childbirth,  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  concerning  the  important 
subject  of  leprosy,  and  the  fifteenth  in  regard  to  uncleanness  from  secretions.  The 
sixteenth  chapter  forms  a  fitting  climax  to  this  first  part  of  the  book  by  giving  the 
ceremonial  of  the  great  Day  of  Atonement,  which  attaches  itself  as  its  historical 
point  of  departure  to  the  dreadful  judgment  upon  Nadab  and  Abihu  for  their  too 
rash  familiarity  with  the  sanctities  of  the  holy  place. 

The  second  part,  chapters  seventeen  to  twenty-six,  consists  of  legislation  which, 
because  it  speaks  more  distinctively  from  the  standpoint  of  personal  and  ceremonial 
purity,  has  been  denominated  the  law  of  holiness.  It  begins  in  chapter  seventeen 
with  general  regulations  as  to  killing  animals  for  food  and  sacrificing.  The  eighteenth 
chapter  occupies  itself  with  unlawful  marriages  and  lusts,  and  is  followed,  after  a 
most  edifying  chapter  (19)  of  miscellaneous  religious  and  moral  precepts,  by  a  code 
of  penalties  (chap.  20)  attached  to  the  off'enses  specified  in  chapter  eighteen.  In  the 
twenty-first  and  twenty-second  chapters  are  regulations  as  to  domestic  and  personal 
purity  touching  priests  and  offerings.  The  next  chapter  (23)  is  a  calendar  of  sacred 
seasons.  A  somewhat  miscellaneous  chapter,  the  twenty-fourth,  containing  regu- 
lations regarding  the  lamps  in  the  tabernacle,  and  the  shewbread,  and  concluding 
with  the  incident  of  the  blasphemer,  is  here  inserted.  Then  follows  the  important 
twenty-fifth  chapter  on  the  sabbatical  year  and  the  year  of  jubilee  ;  and  the  whole 
ends  with  a  hortatory  conclusion  (chap.  26)  containing  promises  and  threatenings, 
and  concluding  with  a  final  subscription  as  if  the  book  were  finished. 

The  supplementary  chapter  (27)  relates  to  the  commutation  of  vows  and  dues, 
and  ends  with  a  repetition  of  the  subscription  to  the  laws. 

As  to  the  authorship  of  this  civil  and  ceremonial  legislation,  undoubtedly  the 
universal  Jewish  belief,  at  least  in  New  Testament  times,  and  we  do  not  know  how 
much  earlier,  was  that  ''the  law  was  given  by  Moses."  Not  only  w^as  he  thought 
of  as  the  lawgiver,  or  receiver  and  oral  transmitter  of  Jehovah's  commands,  but  as 
the  writer  of  those  words  in  their  present  form.  The  entire  pentateuchal  history 
and  legislation  had  by  the  time  the  first  instalment  of  the  Septuagint  version  was 
made  (264-248  b.  c.)  been  wrought  into  a  single  canon  or  book,  which  was  uncrit- 
ically accepted  as  a  whole  ;  and  from  that  time  forward  the  conditions  existed  for 
the  formation  and  acceptance  of  a  tradition  that  the  great  lawgiver  who  figured  so 
prominently  in  its  pages  as  the  recipient  of  the  divine  communications,  and  who 
was  represented  on  several  occasions  as  writing  down  certain  specific  portions 
by  express  command,  was  the  author  of  the  whole  collection,  including  its  very 
considerable  anonymous  portions. 

In  various  passages  of  the  Hexateuch  the  act  of  writing,  or  the  written  docu- 
ment, is  expressly  mentioned  ;  as  where  Moses  is  directed  to  write  the  history  of 
Amalek's  enmity  in  a  book  (Exod.  17  :  14) ;  where  he  writes  the  words  of  the  cov- 
enant (Exod.  24  :  4) ;  where  the  substance  of  the  covenant  is  rehearsed,  after  the 
second  giving  of  the  tables  of  stone,  and  directed  to  be  written  (Expd.  34  :  27)  ; 
where  Moses  by  divine  command  keeps  the  log  or  itinerary  of  the  journeyings  of 


INTRODUCTION  vii 


the  children  of  Israel  (Num.  33  :  2) ;  where  the  law,  at  least  of  Deuteronomy,  is 
spoken  of  as  kept  in  charge  of  the  priests,  the  Levites,  and  the  king  that  shall  arise 
in  the  future  is  directed  to  make  a  copy  therefrom  for  his  own  use  (Deut.  17  :  18) ; 
where  Moses  writes  the  deuteronomic  law  and  delivers  it  to  the  priests  (Deut. 
31  :  9)  ;  and  finally  where  the  commands  of  the  lawgiver  are  spoken  of  by  Joshua 
as  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses  (Josh.  8  :  31 ;  23  :  6).  In  the  book  of 
Judges  (3  :  4),  and  throughout  the  Old  Testament,  Moses  is  referred  to  as  a  law- 
giver ;  while  in  the  books  of  Kings  his  laws  are  especially  spoken  of  as  written 
(1  Kings  2  :  3  ;  2  Kings  14  :  6).  Whatever  date  between  Sinai  and  Christ  we  may 
assign  to  the  redacted  and  completed  Hexateuch,  or  to  these  historical  books,  this 
much  at  least  is  certain,  that  the  history  of  Israel,  as  the  biblical  authors  wrote  and 
understood  it,  proceeds  upon  the  supposition  that  Moses  wrote  considerable  portions 
of  the  moral  and  ceremonial  law. 

And  yet  the  evidence,  however  it  may  have  been  understood  or  supplemented 
by  tradition  in  later  times,  gives  us  surprisingly  little  knowledge  of  the  authorship 
of  the  law  as  a  whole.  "In  point  of  fact,"  says  Professor  Robertson,  "  the  books 
of  the  Pentateuch,  like  the  historical  books  which  follow  them,  are  anonymous. 
The  book  of  Genesis  gives  no  hint  of  its  authorship,  neither  does  the  book  of 
Leviticus ;  and  the  few  passages  found  in  the  other  books  which  speak  of  Moses 
writing  such  and  such  things  'in  a  book,'  will  be  discovered  on  examination  to 
refer  to  certain  specific  things.  Indeed  the  very  fact  of  such  expressions  occurring 
within  the  books  may  even  be  taken  as  a  presumption  that  it  was  not  he  who 
wrote  the  whole." 

How  much  of  the  legislation  in  its  present  form  is  from  Moses'  hand  it  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  determine.  That  he  started  in  at  the  beginning  and  produced  a 
finished  draft  of  the  law  as  it  now  stands,  few  at  this  day  would  have  the  hardihood 
to  maintain.  Modern  historical  criticism  seems  to  find  clear  indications  of  different 
documentary  strata  from  which  the  various  narrations  and  commands  of  the  Pen- 
tateuch were  drawn.  Of  the  legislation  the  most  ancient  is  thought  to  be  that  part 
which  Moses  in  Exodus  is  said  to  have  written,  designated  as  the  Book  of  the  Cov- 
enant. The  deuteronomic  code  or  homily  is  figured  as  reflecting  priestly  or  pro- 
phetic reformatory  effort  during  the  latter  part  of  the  period  of  the  monarchy,  say 
in  the  reign  of  Manasseh  or  Josiah. ;  while  that  part  of  the  law  dubbed  the  priest- 
code,  to  which  the  book  of  Leviticus  belongs,  is  thought  to  have  attained  its  final 
shape  the  latest  of  all.  Of  this  priest-code  Kautzsch  says  :  **  Everything  appears  in 
the  best  order  and  self-evident  when  we  think  of  the  codifications  as  arising  in  this 
order:  Deuteronomy,  Ezek.  40-48,  Law  of  Holiness,  Priests' Code.  The  latter  .  .  . 
obtained  official  validity  through  Ezra,  and  afterwards  continued  to  be  the  standard 
of  ritual  and  life  and  of  the  entire  view  of  history  amongst  the  Jews.  In  the  grad- 
ually written  expositions  of  Israel's  laws  of  life  it  was  the  last  word."  As  to  the 
correctness  of  these  opinions,  it  must  be  said  that  while  a  sane  scholarship  will 
reject  many  of  the  extravagancies  which  accompany  the  ingenious  reconstructions 
of  Israelitish  history  concocted  in  German  brains,  and  will  maintain  that  the  patri- 
archal and  wilderness  history  was  not  consciously  invented  by  late  writers,  and  that 
there  was  a  legislative  and  priestly  literary  activity  long  before  the  prophets,  never- 
theless the  research  of  recent  years  has  presented  at  least  enough  evidence  of  the 


viii  INTRODUCTION 


composite  nature  of  the  Pentateuch  so  that  belief  therein  is  held  by  scholars  who 
are  accounted  among  the  most  conservative  and  devout. 

The  laws  purport  at  the  outset  to  be  a  verbatim  reproduction  of  words  spoken 
privately  to  Moses  by  Jehovah  ;  the  communication  being  at  first  stated  to  be  from 
the  tent  of  meeting  (1:1;  comp.  Exod.  33  :  7,  11),  afterward  from  Mount  Sinai 
(25  :  1 ;  26  :  46  ;  27  :  34 ;  comp.  Exod.  24  :  18 ;  25  : 1).  That  the  author's  thought, 
however,  does  not  consistently  keep  to  the  image  of  this  communication  as  so 
secluded  and  detached  from  its  occasion  as  this  would  imply  is  evident,  not  only 
from  the  apparent  latitude  in  respect  to  the  place,  but  from  the  repeated  intro- 
duction of  narrative  giving  the  occasion  for  some  law,  from  the  fact  that  Aaron  is 
often  included  in  the  address,  and  especially  from  the  odd  way  in  which,  in  at  least 
one  instance,  the  author  awakes  to  the  fact  that  it  is  the  priest  whom  Jehovah 
must  be  taken  as  addressing  (27  :  12).  This  pecuhar  literary  method  of  intro- 
ducing direct  speeches  as  if  they  were  the  exact  words  of  Jehovah  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  Hebrew  language  has  developed  only  in  the  most  rudimentary  way  an  in- 
direct form  of  discourse,  and  therefore  has  no  convenient  method  of  indicating  that 
a  communication  is  reported  only  for  substance.  The  conventional  literary  or 
juristic  form,  "The  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  saying,"  may  thus  easily  be  under- 
stood to  imply  no  more  exact  communication  than  that  the  legislation  in  question 
was  divinely  revealed  to  the  lawgiver. 

This  book  of  Levitical  regulations  as  we  have  it  no  doubt  represents  usages  and 
ideas  that  were  in  process  of  growth  in  the  priestly  circles  during  all  the  period  of 
the  tabernacle  and  the  first  temple.  In  the  time  of  Jeremiah  the  promulgation  of 
law  seems  to  have  been  popularly  thought  of  as  a  characteristic  function  of  the 
priesthood  (Jer.  18  :  18  ;  see  also  Ezek.  7  :  26).  Some  of  the  usages  thus  chronicled 
are  very  ancient,  dating  no  doubt  from  the  first  establishment  of  the  tabernacle 
worship.  In  regard  to  some  there  are  the  marks  of  an  origin  in  a  later  circle  of 
ideas  and  necessities  than  would  be  natural  in  the  wilderness  times.  Those  rules 
or  precepts  were  handed  down  as  a  part  of  the  traditional  education  of  the  priest- 
hood, and  existed  partly  as  oral  directions,  partly  as  more  or  less  extensive  written 
groups  or  codes  of  regulations  and  laws.  ''While  the  first  temple  stood,"  says 
Driver,  ''the  traditional  knowledge  of  the  priestly  class  was  embodied  in  practice, 
and  we  are  not  in  a  position  to  say  how  far  their  rules  had  been  reduced  to  writing. 
Probably  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  changes  and  developments  in  matters  of 
detail  from  taking  place  in  the  course  of  time."  It  is  not  impossible  that  Moses, 
the  great  founder  of  the  nation,  may  have  given  to  some  of  these  laws  the  sanction 
of  his  authority.  It  was  not  the  habit  of  the  priest  in  precritical  times  to  inquire 
closely  into  the  authorship  of  what  had  come  down  to  him  as  established  and  sacred. 
Custom  soon  hardened  into  obligation,  and  any  precept  whose  lifetime  ran  back 
beyond  the  memory  of  man  would  be  as  a  matter  of  course  endowed  wdth  the  pres- 
tige of  that  great  name  w4iich  had  given  such  a  mighty  initial  impulse  to  the 
nation's  life.  It  was  therefore  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  for  a  writer  or 
redactor,  in  codifying  the  temple  usages  which  had  existed  from  time  immemorial, 
to  introduce  each  new  topic  or  section  with  the  recognized  legal  formula,  "And 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying." 

The  book  of  Leviticus  may  therefore  be  said  to  be  Mosaic  in  that  it  is  the  literary 


INTRODUCTION  ix 


precipitate  of  Moses'  work  and  of  its  continuation  through  the  priestly  activity 
which  took  its  rise  from  the  Mosaic  tabernacle  system  and  fulfilled  itself  in  the 
nation's  religious  life. 

The  saner  and  more  conservative  of  those  modern  critics  who  maintain  the 
late  date  of  the  priestly  legislation  are  careful  to  specify  that  this  assertion  applies 
only  to  its  putting  into  final  shape  or  codification.  Thus  Driver  says  :  "  The  date 
of  the  redaction  of  the  laws  in  Leviticus  must  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the 
dates  of  the  laws  themselves.  .  .  Difi'erent  hands  have  co-operated  in  codifying  the 
usage  and  elaborating  the  theory  of  these  sacrifices."  "  The  various  compilers  or 
redactors  did  little  more  than  reduce  to  a  permanent  form  the  legal  and  ceremonial 
tradition  which  had  long  been  current  in  priestly  circles.  A  special  motive  for 
preserving  and  codifying  these  traditions  would  be  given  by  the  destruction  of  the 
temple  (586  b.  c.)  and  the  exile  of  the  people.  One  of  these  writers,  the  compiler 
of  the  '  Law  of  Holiness, '  cannot  be  separated  very  widely  in  time  from  Ezekiel, 
whether  he  wrote  before  or  after  that  prophet  (595-572  b.  c).  On  the  other  hand, 
the  account  of  the  promulgation  of  Ezra's  law  in  444  b.  c.  determines  the  date  by 
which  Leviticus  had  received  almost  its  present  form." 

Of  the  five  principal  types  of  sacrifice  whose  ritual  is  instituted  in  Leviticus 
the  first,  or  burnt  off'ering,  expressed  self-dedication  to  Jehovah,  with  the  mental 
result  for  the  offerer  of  a  sense  of  acceptance  or  atonement  as  the  gift  went  up  to 
God  in  the  smoke  of  the  altar.  The  meal  offering  was  a  voluntary  gift  to  God 
analogous  to  what  was  used  in  ordinary  life  to  produce  an  amicable  understanding 
between  parties.  The  peace  off'ering  was  an  expression  of  communion  and  recon- 
ciliation and  was  essentially  a  feast  with  Jehovah.  The  idea  of  expiation  and 
restitution  comes  prominently  forward  in  the  sin  off'ering  and  the  guilt  off'ering, 
which  appear  to  be  the  characteristic  creation  of  the  law  and  of  the  state  of  cove- 
nant obligation  which  its  promulgation  implied.  These  off'erings,  at  least  the  first 
three  of  them,  are  not  to  be  thought  of  as  projected  on  the  nation  by  the  book  of 
Leviticus  as  a  new  thing  nor  the  predominant  task  of  the  legislation  as  that  of 
creating  or  fostering  the  habit  of  worshiping  by  sacrifice.  Burnt  offerings  and  gifts 
and  peace  off'erings  had  been  the  spontaneous  expressions  of  religious  feeling  from 
the  earliest  times.  In  all  the  ritual  of  these  off'erings,  therefore,  as  it  appears  in 
Leviticus,  the  disposition  of  the  off'erer  to  bring  his  gift  is  taken  for  granted,  nothing 
being  prescribed  as  to  the  frequency  or  even  as  to  the  obligation  of  this  species  of 
worship.  But  a  practice  so  spontaneous  and  luxuriant  needed  to  be  pruned  and 
regulated,  not  only  that  it  might  be  kept  more  orderly  in  its  procedure  but  that 
the  priests,  by  assuming  control  of  it,  might  guard  it  from  that  tendency  to  alliance 
with  the  nature  worships  of  the  heathen,  which  was  the  characteristic  temptation 
during  the  whole  early  religious  history  of  Israel. 

It  is  possible  that  the  motive  for  codifying  and  publishing  these  Levitical  regula- 
tions— a  motive  which  must  have  been  something  more  urc:ent  than  the  mere  desire 
to  prevent  an  ancient  cultus  from  sinking  into  forgetfulness  through  disuse  when  the 
temple  was  destroyed — was  the  purpose  to  resist  and  neutralize  those  temptations 
to  idolatry  after  their  power  and  working  had  been  felt  in  the  destruction  of  the 
nation.  The  priest  code  would  thus  serve  its  purpose  as  the  backbone  of  the  post- 
exilic  reformation.     Full  of  the  impressions  which  come  to  one  on  looking  at  the 


INTRODUCTION 


ceremonial  legislation  from  this  point  of  view,  Schultz  says  :  *'The  sacrificial  laws 
of  the  middle  books  of  the  Pentateuch  seem  like  an  earnestly  intended  restoration 
of  old  sacred  forms  which  the  religious  life  of  Israel  had  in  reality  outgrown,  like  an 
attempt  to  express  the  antique  faith,  which  had  sprung  from  the  soil  of  materialistic 
and  mystic  religion,  in  the  mold  of  ethico-spiritual  piety.  These  laws  were  full  of 
significance  as  a  preventive  against  Israel's  sinking  into  the  cult  and  magic  of  the 
highly  developed  paganism  of  that  period."  However  this  may  be,  whether  the 
legislation  owes  its  present  written  existence  to  the  purpose  of  re-establishing 
and  re-enforcing  old  religious  forms  with  a  published  legislative  substance  and 
sanction  or  to  the  necessity  of  pruning  a  redundant  religious  life  in  its  earlier  vital 
period  by  bringing  it  under  the  educated  control  of  the  priests,  at  all  events  the 
lurking  temptation  to  idolatry  was  an  objective  point,  and  the  intended  result  was 
to  resist  that  temptation  among  the  laity  by  the  superior  attraction  of  a  more 
exalted  worship. 

The  first  step  toward  securing  this  object  and  the  one  which  was  represented  as 
naturally  following  upon  the  rearing  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  setting-up  of  an 
altar,  was  to  provide  a  daily  burnt  off'ering  with  its  attendant  meal  and  drink  offer- 
ings at  the  public  expense  (see  Exod.  29  :  38-44).  By  this  regular  opportunity  for 
worship  presenting  itself  every  morning  and  evening  the  ordinary  impulse  of  the 
congregation  to  draw  near  to  God  by  sacrificing  might  satisfy  itself  and  the  religious 
feeling  which  needed  to  be  regulated  might  find  vent  in  an  orderly  public  service. 
This  ordinance  of  daily  burnt  sacrifice  is  not  directly  laid  down  in  Leviticus,  but  is 
implied  as  the  constant  term  in  the  directions  for  worship  given  in  that  book.  The 
fire  on  the  altar  was  never  to  go  out  (Lev.  6  :  12).  On  its  embers  which  were  "  upon 
the  wood  that  is  on  the  fire"  the  flesh  of  the  voluntary  sacrifices  described  in  Le- 
viticus was  to  be  consumed  (Lev.  3:5;  4  :  35  ;  6:9,  12).  Thus  the  burnt  off'ering, 
which  was  the  characteristic  expression  of  the  worshiper  in  his  moments  of  greater 
elation,  would  tend  to  pass  over  entirely  from  a  private  sacrifice  to  a  great  public 
function  in  which  all  the  people  might  share. 

The  seductive  idolatrous  tendencies  of  the  peace  offering  were  not  so  easily 
resisted.  This  was  a  function  which  came  nearer  to  the  common  life  of  the  people, 
being  indeed  in  all  probability  the  primitive  spontaneous  form  of  religious  ex- 
pression. It  diff'ered  but  little  from  an  ordinary  secular  feast.  Indeed,  the  slaugh- 
tering of  domestic  animals  for  food  was  and  is  to  this  day  among  the  Arabs  an  act 
of  religion.  But  the  religious  feeling  which  it  carried  was  so  little  removed  from 
the  rejoicing  of  secular  life  that  under  an  imperfect  sense  of  the  holiness  of  Jehovah 
it  might  easily  degenerate  into  a  fellowship  with  the  unhallowed  rejoicings  of  the 
pagan  nature  cults.  The  priestly  legislation  accordingly  prescribed  carefully  the 
priest's  share  in  all  the  peace  offerings  and  forbade  the  secular  use  of  the  internal 
suet,  while  the  law  of  holiness  required  all  domestic  animals  that  were  slaughtered 
to  be  brought  to  the  central  sanctuary  as  an  oblation  to  Jehovah.  The  irregular 
satyr  worships  of  the  woods,  with  their  inevitable  tendencies  to  impurity,  were  sternly 
prohibited.  Thus  the  legislation  undertook  to  regulate  the  luxuriant  spontaneity  of 
the  people's  worship  by  bringing  it  under  the  visible  accountability  of  priestly  rules. 

But  the  great  achievement  of  the  priestly  legislation  was  the  doctrine  of  expia- 
tion.    This  may  be  taken  as  the  creation  of  the  Mosaic  law.     While  the  lawgiver 


INTRODUCTION  xi 


in  Leviticus  treats  the  first  three  types  of  sacrifice  as  voluntary  offerings,  the  impulse 
to  which  he  finds  already  existing,  he  approaches  the  sin  ofi'ering  from  another 
point  of  view.  He  specifies  cases  where  the  sin  ofi'ering  is  required  and,  graduating 
the  prescribed  oblation  according  to  the  ability  or  theocratic  rank  of  the  sinner, 
whether  it  be  anointed  priest,  the  whole  congregation,  ruler,  or  private  person, 
indicates  the  conditions  on  which  atonement  may  be  made  for  them  by  the  priest. 
Only  sins  of  error  or  ignorance  are  thus  provided  for,  while  the  intentional  or  high- 
handed sinner  may  hope  only  for  the  sentence  of  being  cut  off"  from  the  congregation. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  in  all  the  accounts  of  sacrifice  in  the  patriarchal  age,  and 
also  in  the  early  history  of  the  tribes  in  the  promised  land,  it  is  always  the  burnt 
ofi'ering  and  the  peace  ofi'ering  that  are  mentioned,  and  not  the  sin  ofi'ering.  In 
the  Book  of  the  Covenant  too,  which  is  accounted  the  earliest  extant  legislation  of 
the  Pentateuch,  there  is  no  recognition  of  this  species  of  sacrifice  (see  Exod. 
20  :  24),  nor  is  it  mentioned  in  Deuteronomy.  The  burnt  ofi'erings  and  peace 
off'erings  do  not  emphasize  the  element  of  expiation  properly  speaking.  It  is  true, 
there  is  an  element  of  atonement,  an  ''odor  of  pleasantness,"  in  the  burnt  ofi'ering, 
but  it  is  that  atonement  which  consists  in  acquiring  the  sense  of  having  pleased 
God,  rather  than  that  which  arises  from  the  sense  of  guilt  done  away.  The  pictur- 
esque Scripture  language  presents  a  reflex  of  the  off'erer's  emotions  in  the  formula, 
"The  Lord  smelled  a  sweet  savor."  It  can  hardly  be  held,  therefore,  that  all  sac- 
rifice had  its  origin  in  man's  sense  of  alienation  from  God  and  his  desire  to  avert 
divine  wrath.  The  sense  of  guilt  demanding  expiation  appears  to  be  among  the 
later  developed  religious  impulses,  rather  than  the  primal  feeling  from  which  the 
practice  of  ofi'ering  sacrifices  arose. 

"By  the  law,"  saj'-s  Paul,  "  is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  As  religion  passed  from 
domestic  life  into  the  domain  of  law,  and  from  being  a  spontaneous  impulse  became 
an  organized  system  of  duty  under  the  control  of  the  priests,  the  principle  of  expi- 
ation began  to  enter  into  the  sacrifices,  so  that  finally  the  sin  ofi'ering,  though  the 
last  developed,  becomes  logically  the  first,  or  the  preparation  for  the  other  off'er- 
ings. "The  religious  life  of  the  community,  as  centering  in  the  national  sanctuary, 
had  by  means  of  these  laws  a  definite  and  completed  regulation  which  was  honored 
and  cherished  as  God's  holy  commandment.  The  intercourse  of  Israel  with  God 
in  sacrifice  gave  to  the  nation  the  consciousness  of  a  continual  and  ever-renewed 
communion  of  grace.  Therefore  the  nation's  most  serious  endeavor  was  by  sin 
ofi'ering  and  purification  immediately  to  make  good  every  ritual  error  that  might 
interrupt  or  render  inefficient  this  intercourse  and  hinder  the  holy  God  in  his  com- 
munion with  Israel  (Lev.  15  :  31 ;  Num.  19  :  17-20)"  (Schultz).  This  extreme 
solicitude  regarding  the  ritual  fitness  of  the  worshiper  for  communion  with  God 
wrought  to  raise  expiation  to  a  predominant  importance  in  the  sacrificial  system, 
and  issued  not  only  in  specific  sin  off'erings  but  in  what  Oehler  calls  an  "ordinance 
of  atonement,  which  is  principally  carried  out  in  acts  of  worship  specifically  expi- 
atory, but  which  also  runs  through  the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  worship  ;  in  all 
parts  of  which,  but  especially  by  the  use  which  is  from  this  time  forward  made  of 
the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  at  the  burnt  and  thank  off'erings,  the  idea  is  expressed 
that  man  may  never  approach  God  without  previous  atonement,  that  this  must  be 
accomplished  before  he  can  expect  that  his  gift  will  be  favorably  received  by  God." 


xii  INTEODUCTION 


With  this  watchful  holding  to  account  of  the  Israelite's  unwitting  sins,  and 
especially  with  its  carefully  elaborated  restrictions  as  to  uncleanness  from  foods, 
from  contacts,  and  even  from  secretions  that  are  accidental  or  in  the  course  of 
nature,  the  whole  tendency  of  Leviticus  was  to  cultivate  an  apprehensive  sense  of 
sin  and  of  the  need  of  expiation.  It  is  this  which  is  expressed  and  developed  by 
the  priest-legislation.  Through  the  sin  offering  and  the  regulations  regarding  cere- 
monial impurity  there  was  a  gradual  leading  of  the  whole  idea  of  sacrifice  into 
the  region  of  expiation  and  purification.  This  constant  requirement  of  expia- 
tion for  even  unintentional  sins,  this  watchfulness  against  uncleanness  and  ritual 
unfitness  which  culminated  even  in  an  annual  purging  of  the  holy  place  with 
its  sacred  furniture,  and  the  solemn  sending  away  of  the  people's  collective  sin 
into  forgetfulness,  had  the  effect  of  elevating  the  idea  of  expiation  to  a  supreme 
significance  in  the  theory  of  sacrifice,  so  that  this  idea,  with  its  accompanying 
assertion  of  the  universal  human  need  of  atonement,  becomes  the  basis  of  the 
Christian  doctrine  of  salvation. 

This  notion  of  sin  as  an  expiable  entity  was  from  the  nature  of  the  case  more 
physical  than  ethical ;  and  yet  we  should  hesitate  to  call  it  on  this  account  more 
primitive  or  less  worthy  of  an  advanced  intelhgence  than  the  strictly  ethical  idea 
of  transgression.  It  was  another  kind  of  idea,  necessary  perhaps  to  any  radical 
treatment  of  sin  as  an  accountable  thing  remaining  as  a  stain  on  the  soul  even 
after  the  person  had  desisted  from  the  specific  act  of  wrong-doing.  After  the  nation 
under  the  teaching  of  the  prophets  had  attained  the  ethical  insight  to  perceive  that 
the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  cannot  take  away  sin,  there  nevertheless  clung  to  the 
religious  consciousness,  as  a  heritage  of  this  priest-legislation,  the  idea  of  sin  as  a 
thing,  an  objective  entity  to  be  abhorred  and  put  away  ;  and  this  idea,  refined  and 
elevated  through  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  has  been  of  great  and  permanent  value 
in  the  religious  history  of  mankind. 

In  estimating  the  influence  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  on  the  history  of  the 
people  of  Israel  it  is  not  wholly  practicable  to  separate  it  from  the  entire  priestly 
legislation  of  which  it  formed  a  part.  ''The  peculiar  arrangement  of  the  legal  por- 
tions, nay,  their  very  divergence  from  one  another,  proves  that  law  was  for  long  a 
living  thing,  and  that  the  codes  are  not  resuscitated  from  the  memories  of  priests 
or  excogitated  by  scribes"  (Kobertson).  But  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  while 
the  priestly  code  was  in  a  state  of  growth  it  existed  mainl}'-  as  a  terse  and  technical 
manual  of  ceremonial  for  the  use  of  the  priests,  rather  than  as  a  book  of  exhorta- 
tion and  guidance  for  the  people.  We  should  therefore  not  look  so  much  for 
marked  popular  effect  from  the  legislation  until  after  the  redaction  and  publication 
of  the  code  as  a  part  of  a  canon,  or  instrument  of  edification.  But  that  the  priests 
had  a  prescribed  order  from  the  earliest  times,  that  the  tabernacle  at  Shiloh  became 
the  center  of  worship  only  by  virtue  of  its  meeting  the  wants  of  the  people  with 
some  recognized  ritual,  that  its  worship,  and  the  ceremonial  from  its  time  forward, 
was  invested  with  authority,  seems  to  be  clearly  shown  from  the  undisputed  history 
of  the  period.  It  is  true  that  some  of  the  apparently  unreproved  practices  of  saintly 
men,  particularly  in  regard  to  worship  in  high  places,  are  out  of  harmony  with 
the  fully  developed  priestly  legislation  which  restricted  legitimate  sacrifice  to  the 
central  sanctuary.     It  is  true  that  the  status  of  the  priests  and  their  relation  to  the 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 


Levites  does  not  seem  to  have  been  settled  in  the  early  monarchical  and  deutero- 
nomic  period  in  strict  consistency  with  the  definition  which  it  finally  attained  in  the 
priest-code.  It  is  true  that  the  Sabbatic  and  jubilee  year  legislation,  if  it  existed 
before  the  exile,  existed  only  to  be  disregarded  by  the  people.  We  must  also  not 
forget  our  task  of  accounting  for  the  puzzling  fact  that  Ezekiel  carefully  lays  a  new 
foundation  in  the  latter  part  of  his  prophecy  for  a  projected  temple  structure  and 
ceremonial,  just  as  if  there  were  no  completed  building  which  had  occupied  the 
ground  from  the  days  of  Moses.  Nevertheless  that  the  germs  of  the  priest-code 
existed  and  were  a  living  influence  in  those  circles  to  which  its  legislation  applied, 
in  times  long  anterior  to  the  prophets,  though  subject  to  growth  and  modification 
as  the  religious  problems  of  the  nation  advanced  in  complexity,  is  a  fact  which 
must  be  evident  from  a  careful  and  unprejudiced  study  of  the  history. 

The  permanent  impress  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  has  naturally  been  the  most 
marked  in  those  portions  of  the  legislation  which  concern  personal  and  family  life, 
and  in  regard  to  which  assent  could  readily  harden  into  ineradicable  prejudice. 
Such  are  the  regulations  in  respect  to  clean  and  unclean  animals  and  to  eating 
blood  or  animals  that  die  a  natural  death,  many  of  the  precepts  fostering  a  horror 
of  ceremonial  impurity,  and  the  legislation  regarding  marriage  within  forbidden 
degrees  of  kinship.  Man}'-  of  these  regulations  are  probably  not  original  with  the 
book  of  Leviticus,  but  reflect  usages  and  scruples  that  come  down  from  very  early 
times.  The  habits  and  abhorrences  commanded  and  fostered  by  the  Mosaic  legisla- 
tion in  regard  to  clean  and  unclean  meats  still  distinguish  the  Jews  from  other  nations 
almost  as  broadly  as  their  Sabbath  ;  and  to  those  habits,  considered  in  their  sanitary 
aspect,  is  often  attributed  the  remarkable  vitality  of  the  Jewish  race.  The  dread 
of  defilement  fostered  by  the  regulations  regarding  personal  ceremonial  purity  came 
to  associate  itself  and  play  in  with  the  Jewish  national  and  religious  intolerance, 
so  that  by  the  time  of  Christ  a  Jew  regarded  himself  as  rendered  unclean  by  merely 
entering  a  Gentile's  house  (Luke  7:6;  John  18  :  28  ;  Acts  10  :  29).  From  this  feeling 
also,  which  in  a  proudly  separate  nation  refined  itself  to  a  prejudice,  among  other 
details,  against  eating  with  "common"  hands,  were  no  doubt  evolved,  through 
rabbinic  ingenuity,  the  laborious  usages  with  respect  to  bathing  and  washing  re- 
ferred to  in  the  Gospels  (Mark  7  :  1-6).  As  to  the  Levitical  defining  of  degrees 
within  which  marriage  is  prohibited,  this  part  of  the  legislation  has  not  only  re- 
mained valid  for  Jewish  people,  but  it  has  so  acquired  the  force  of  moral  law  as  to 
be  accepted  as  binding  to  a  very  considerable  degree  on  the  Gentile  Christian  con- 
science. In  general  it  may  be  said  that  in  proportion  as  the  laws  have  been  felt  to 
be  of  universal  human  application  and  interest  they  have  been  accepted  by  all 
Christendom,  not  simply  as  positive  Mosaic  precepts  but  as  expressions  of  the 
ideal  humanity — the  kingdom  of  God  ;  and  some  of  the  legislation  of  the  law  of 
holiness,  notably  in  the  nineteenth  chapter,  reaches  a  very  high  moral  plane,  so 
that  indeed  one  of  its  precepts  (19  :  18)  is  characterized  by  Christ  and  accepted  by 
the  church  as  a  part  of  that  fundamental  revelation  on  which  hang  all  the  law  and 
the  prophets. 

The  ordinance  of  the  Sabbatic  year  and  the  year  of  jubilee,  seeking  as  it  did  to 
establish  a  custom  which  could  maintain  its  existence  only  as  a  general  and  public 
observance,  seems  to  have  failed  to  get  itself  enforced  before  the  exile,  if,  indeed, 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 


it  became  a  part  of  the  recognized  law  before  that  time.  Like  the  legislation  of 
idealists  in  general,  it  appears  to  have  been  beautiful  as  a  scheme,  but  impracti- 
cable as  a  civil  and  public  observance,  because  striking  a  keynote  of  unworldliness 
too  high  for  the  public  convenience  or  average  devotion  to  follow.  The  Sabbatic 
year  was  entirely  neglected  by  the  nation  during  the  whole  period  of  the  monarchy, 
and  the  captivity  itself  was  accounted  for  by  the  idealists  as  the  divine  punishment 
for  that  neglect.  It  seems  to  have  come  into  force  as  an  observance  only  in  the 
smaller  priest-governed  colony  of  the  return,  after  the  doctrinaires  had  got  the 
upper  hand.  The  year  of  the  jubilee  appears  to  have  existed  as  a  matter  of  reck- 
oning without  ever  being  in  any  adequate  way  kept  in  practical  life. 

The  priestly  regulations  and  theories  as  to  sacrificial  worship  and  ceremonial 
established  themselves  gradually  in  the  citadel  of  the  national  conscience,  and  no 
doubt  attained  to  greatly  augmented  binding  force  after  the  exile  when  the  Jews  in 
a  measure  came  to  despair  of  fulfilling  their  divine  destiny  as  a  nation  and  cen- 
tered their  enthusiasm  in  the  Jewish  church.  Under  the  regime  of  the  second  temple 
the  ceremonial  law  and  the  priesthood  became  for  the  Jews  who  returned  to  Pales- 
tine the  principal  instrumentality  for  unifying  the  nation,  and  zeal  for  the  purity  of 
the  temple  and  ritual  again  and  again  incited  an  angry  people  to  bloody  outbreaks, 
or  nerved  to  acts  of  devotion  and  suff'ering  worthy  the  name  of  martyrdom.  Even 
for  those  of  the  dispersion  the  great  annual  pilgrimage  feasts  were  a  force  that 
operated  to  turn  their  thoughts  and  often  their  footsteps  to  their  native  land,  and 
to  keep  aglow  in  their  hearts  a  passionate  love  for  Zion. 

But,  however  the  temple  and  its  ritual  may  have  served  as  a  rallying  point  for 
patriotism — a  focus  at  which  the  idea  of  Jehovah  as  the  God  of  Israel  was  con- 
verged and  intensified  to  the  burning  point — as  an  expression  of  the  religious  life 
of  the  people,  the  daily  act  of  offering  victims  on  the  altar  had  probably  ceased  to 
be  a  primary  and  real  act  of  worship  even  before  the  codification  of  the  priestly 
regulations  was  complete.  Sacrifice  had  become  a  secondary  and  symbolical  act, 
no  longer  expressing  directly  the  naive  feelings  of  the  worshiper,  but  enacting  them 
as  it  were  in  a  conventional  and  dramatized  form.  The  intelligent  worshiper, 
enlightened  by  the  prophetic  teaching,  soon  outgrew  the  thought  that  he  was  mak- 
ing a  sweet  savor  for  the  nostrils  of  Jehovah,  or  bestowing  on  him  an  acceptable 
gift ;  but  the  smoke  of  the  sacrifice  became  a  symbol  of  prayer,  that  act  which,  as 
the  lifting  up  of  the  soul  to  God,  could  alone  carry  with  it  the  whole  intimate  out- 
breathing  of  the  spirit.  While  prayer  is  scarcely  mentioned  in  the  priestly  legis- 
lation the  whole  ritual  which  it  prescribes  is  nevertheless  but  enacted  adoration  and 
supplication,  so  that  the  temple  to  prophetic  conception  was  to  fulfill  its  intention 
by  becoming  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  peoples  (Isa.  56  :  7),  and  this  description  of 
it  was  accepted  by  our  Lord  as  the  most  characteristic  and  inclusive  one  (Matt.  21 : 
13  ;  Mark  11  :  17  ;  Luke  19  :  46).  With  the  growth  of  the  ethical  and  spiritual 
mind  and  needs  the  symbolical  ritual  was,  for  the  private  and  inner  life,  replaced 
or  fulfilled  by  the  XoyiKr)  \arpeia,  or  service  of  the  Word  or  Spirit,  which  demanded  the 
whole  earthly  activity  as  a  living  sacrifice  (Rom.  12  :  1),  and  thus  the  visible  form 
wns  preparing  itself  to  be  done  away,  when  the  nation  became  finally  scattered, 
without  the  destruction  of  all  religion  with  it.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  rejection  of 
Christ,  that  momentous  abortion  of  the  Jewish  religious  evolution,  perhaps  the 


INTRODUCTION  xv 


palingenesia  of  the  nation  might  have  been  effected  by  a  transfiguration  in  which 
the  whole  striving  of  the  Mosaic  and  prophetic  economies  should  be  fulfilled  and 
satisfied  in  the  consummate  life  of  Christ.  But,  on  the  contrary,  it  was  ordained 
in  the  counsels  of  eternity  that  this  should  be  only  by  a  world-saving  death,  and 
accordingly,  when  Moses  and  Elias  appeared  with  Jesus  on  the  mountain,  it  was 
that  they  might  talk  with  him  of  his  decease  which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jeru- 
salem (Luke  9  :  31).  By  that  death  and  rising  again  the  whole  world  of  believers 
is  put  in  the  way  of  attaining,  through  faith  in  Christ,  a  sonship  to  God,  which  is 
all  that  the  deepest  and  truest  Judaism  strove  for,  raised  to  newness  of  life  ;  but  the 
priestly  Judaism  which  knew  not  the  day  of  its  visitation,  but  rejected  the  Anointed 
One  who  was  its  representative  and  end,  still,  as  the  great  world  example  of  arrested 
development  in  religion,  awaits  its  resurrection  to  the  life  of  the  spirit. 

When  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  the  temple  finally  fell,  then  perforce  the  daily 
oblation  ceased,  and  its  stately  ceremonial,  going  out  with  the  nation,  ceased  to 
have  a  place  in  Jewish  worship  altogether.  Yet  the  sacrificial  system,  which  had 
already  been  pronounced  by  the  Christian  church  old  and  nigh  unto  vanishing 
away,  so  far  from  fsxlling  to  the  ground  and  dying,  rather  attained  its  euthanasia,  as 
it  were,  by  paling  like  the  stars  in  the  light  of  the  rising  sun.  The  blood  of  bulls 
and  goats  had,  even  from  Old  Testament  prophetic  times,  been  felt  to  be  valid  for 
the  taking  away  of  sin  only  as  a  type  or  foreshadowing  of  some  reality  as  yet  unful- 
filled, and  when  the  Lord  Jesus  died  and  rose  from  the  dead.  Christian  thought 
began  to  recognize  in  him  the  actual  and  heavenly  redeeming  power  to  which  all 
these  types  and  symbols  pointed  forward.  By  a  remarkable  transformation  the 
ordinances  of  the  worldly  sanctuary  became  sublimed  in  Christian  thought  into  the 
doctrine  of  the  greater  or  more  perfect  tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  through 
which  Christ  has  come  a  high  priest  of  the  good  things  to  come.  According  to  the 
inspired  speculations  of  the  writer  to  the  Hebrews  the  whole  ceremonial  law  finds 
its  fulfillment  in  the  transcendent  priesthood  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  through  the 
eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  blemish  unto  God  once  for  all,  and  opened 
the  way  for  every  believer  into  the  holy  place  through  the  veil,  that  is  to  say,  his 
flesh.  Thus,  through  the  vivifying  power  of  Christian  faith  the  Levitical  priest- 
hood and  ceremonial  as  a  system  of  types  and  shadows  becomes  fulfilled  in  Christ 
the  eternal  reality,  and  so  attains  to  a  transfigured  existence  or  resurrection  life  in 
the  salvation  of  the  world. 

So  the  book  of  Leviticus  becomes  a  permanent  factor  in  the  spiritual  life  of 
humanity  in  different  ways,  according  to  the  nature  of  its  various  enactments,  very 
much  as  the  growth  from  the  tree  seed  fulfills  its  destiny  in  divers  manners  in  the 
life  of  nature  and  the  uses  of  man.  Some  of  it  passes  into  unreasoned  scruple  and 
prejudice  useful  for  maintaining  the  hardy  integrity  of  personal  and  social  habits, 
just  as  the  tree  growth  hardens  into  woody  fibre,  which  is  durable  and  strong  for  the 
building's  frame  or  vessel's  ribs  and  keel.  Some  of  it,  as  the  Sabbatic  year,  attains 
little  or  no  fruitful  or  reproductive  life  in  man's  obedience,  but  rather  enriches  his 
spiritual  life  from  its  own  bed  of  death  as  a  condemning  reminder  of  his  sin  and 
failure,  just  as  the  leafage  of  the  tree  puts  forth  a  beautiful  growth,  only  to  fall  in 
the  autumn  and  enrich  the  soil  through  its  own  decay  for  the  growth  of  other 
seeds.     Some  of  it,  on  the  other  hand,  like  the  fully  ripened  fruit  which  attains  its 


xvi  INTKODUCTION 


intended  destiny  by  becoming  the  seed  of  a  new  growth,  passes  into  its  larger  Hfe 
only  by  falling  into  the  ground  and  dying  as  the  shriveled  seed  of  type  and  sym- 
bol, that  it  may  rise  to  eternal  life  as  the  joyous  new  growth  of  fulfillment  and 
actual  salvation  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  high  priest  and  atoning  victim.  And 
this  last  form  of  development,  this  career  of  death  and  resurrection,  is  that  which 
alone  really  fulfills  the  creative  idea  of  tree  or  of  book,  of  all  literature,  indeed,  and 
even  of  the  divine  Word  made  flesh. 

The  interest  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  for  modern  readers  is  chiefly  historical. 
As  a  specimen  of  ancient  ceremonial  jurisprudence,  it  supplies  the  student  with 
data  for  the  study  of  Israelitish  institutions,  yielding  precise  results  for  the  under- 
standing of  the  development  of  the  Jewish  genius  just  in  proportion  to  the  pre- 
cision with  which  criticism  succeeds  in  determining  its  chronological  place  in  the 
history.  As  the  record  of  a  stadium  in  God's  revelation  to  the  world  of  his  plan  of 
salvation,  it  has  always  been  of  interest  to  those  whose  reading  of  the  Bible  is  prin- 
cipally devotional,  and  whose  piety  feeds  itself  on  admiration  of  God's  wonderful 
counsels,  and  these  humble  worshipers,  already  suff'used  and  elated  with  the  ador- 
ii^g  joy  of  Christ's  salvation,  have  found  the  old  system  of  types  and  shadows  won- 
derfully full  of  suggestion  and  edification  on  every  page  as  they  have  read  Christ 
in  the  Old  Testament.  It  is  as  if  the  Saviour  himself  had  taken  them,  and  begin- 
ning at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets  had  interpreted  to  them  in  all  the  Scriptures 
the  things  concerning  himself.  Yet  even  here  the  interest  has  been  historical,  for 
who  that  had  the  fully  risen  light  would  turn  back  to  the  faint  foregleaming  to 
study  it  by,  except  in  a  historian's  spirit?  Some  of  the  glowing  speculations  and 
type-findings  of  these  zealous  expositors  may  here  and  there  run  to  extremes, 
which  to  the  unsympathetic  are  forced  and  fanciful,  just  as  the  Spirit-filled  disci- 
ples at  Pentecost  seemed  to  some  to  be  filled  with  new  wine  ;  but  all  these  methods 
of  treating  the  divine  word  are  simply  the  way  in  each  case  in  which  some  order  of 
mind  derives  and  transmits  edification  from  God's  revelation  of  himself,  and  they 
kindle  faith  and  devotion  according  as  they  find  their  audience. 

If  we  approach  the  book  with  such  candid  attention  as  it  deserves,  with  perse- 
verance sufficient  to  discover  the  interest  which  lurks  beneath  its  rather  forbidding 
technical  exterior,  and  with  such  powers  of  spiritual  interpretation  as  belong  to  our 
order  of  mind,  we  shall  find  that  it  is  not  without  its  living  worth  and  message  even 
for  this  late  day  of  the  world's  unfolding. 


LEVITICUS 


PAKT  FIRST. 


FUNDAMENTAL   LAWS   OF   SACRIFICE,    PURIFICATION, 
AND   ATONEMENT,    CHAPTERS   1   TO   16. 


This  collection  of  working  formulas  for  wor- 
ship   (StKatcu/AaTa    Aarpeias,    Heb.  9  :  l),    haS   been 

called  the  ceremonial  law,  but  it  does  not 
exactly  answer  in  a  theological  sense  to  Paul's 
idea  of  law  as  he  draws  it  out  in  its  distinction 
from  grace.  The  law  was  the  expression  of  God's 
requirement,  or  standard  of  duty,  and  brought 
men  into  the  presence  of  the  God  of  judgment, 
while  these  forms  of  worship  and  atonement  are 
a  device  for  approaching  the  God  of  grace.  The 
law  forbade  sin  and  brought  it  home  to  the  con- 
science ;  the  ceremonial  eased  the  conscience  of 
its  sense  of  sin  by  inducing  a  sense  of  pardon. 
The  law,  as  Paul  figures  it  in  the  Epistles  to  the 
Galatians  and  to  the  Romans,  is  calculated  to 
drive  men  to  Christ  through  the  condemnation 
which  it  produces  but  cannot  allay ;  while  the 
priest  legislation  leads  to  Christ  by  foreshadow- 
ing him,  or  serving  as  a  type  of  his  dispensation. 
Law  proper  fosters  subjection  and  obligation; 
ceremonial  makes  for  reconciliation  and  com- 
munion with  God — it  is  in  its  way  a  kind  of 
gospel  or  good  news  for  the  soul. 

This  ritual  may  be  taken  as  a  formalizing  of 
the  instinct  to  seek  and  enjoy  communion  with 
God.  And  we  may  well  believe  that  the  feeling 
of  God's  grace  or  friendship  was  a  much  larger 
element  in  the  religion  of  ancient  Israel  than 
the  mere  legal,  factitious  feeling  of  merit  as  a 
result  of  perfection  of  conduct.  Indeed,  Paul 
himself,  though  giving  a  large  place  in  his 
argument  to  laAV  in  its  stricter  sense  as  the  foil 
to  his  doctrine  of  free  grace,  nevertheless  indi- 
cates that  the  religious  life  of  the  Old  Testament 
time  was  primarily  and  essentially  the  large, 
rich  growth  of  the  promise  to  Abraham,  while 
the  law  only  entered  in  at  the  side  (irapeLo-fiKeev, 
Rom.  5  :  20)  in  order  that  "the  offense  might 
abound,"  and  so  the  precise  worth  and  applica- 
tion of  divine  grace  to  the  individual  might  be 
apparent.  That  larger  life  of  grace  found  a 
formal  or  ritual  expression  in  the  burnt  and 
meal  and  peace  offerings,  or  a  ritual  restoration 


when  impaired  in  the  the  atoning  devices  of  the 
sin  and  guilt  ofierings. 

This  very  externalizing,  however,  of  the  in- 
stinct for  communion  with  God  brought  the  act 
of  worship  down  to  a  tangible  form  in  which  it 
could  be  grasped  and  debased  by  the  legal  spirit. 
Worship,  whether  in  the  form  of  sacrifice  or  in 
the  more  spiritual  form  of  prayer,  is  in  its 
nature  a  spontaneous  reaching  out  toward  God 
and  can  no  more  claim  merit  for  itself  than  can 
the  act  of  holding  out  the  hand  for  alms.  Yet 
when  the  form  of  worship  is  prescribed  it  forgets 
its  essential  spontaneity  and  becomes  a  work ; 
the  legal  spirit  is  very  prompt  to  debase  it  and 
cause  the  worshiper  to  engage  in  it  as  a  meri- 
torious performance  or  an  act  of  preeminent 
virtue.  Thus  participated  in,  it  becomes  by  a 
sort  of  reversion,  a  part  of  the  law  by  which  the 
mechanical  religionist  hopes  to  win  the  favor  of 
God.  But  this  aspect  of  the  ceremonial  system 
as  mere  law  does  not  belong  to  its  original  in- 
tention; the  prescriptions  for  orderly  worship 
are  rather  the  guide-posts  and  encouragements 
in  the  way  of  grace. 

As  moral  law  and  the  ritual  of  worship  differ 
in  their  nature,  so  there  is  a  difference  in  the 
way  in  which  they  are  respectively  done  away 
in  Christ,  according  to  the  exposition  of  Paul 
and  of  the  writer  to  the  Hebrews.  According 
to  Paul  the  law  was  added  to  intensify  trans- 
gression (Gal.  3  :  19)  by  making  prohibition  defi- 
nite, or  giving  the  knowledge  of  sin  (Rom.  3 :  20) ; 
and  thus  the  necessity  for  the  provisions  of  grace 
through  Christ  was  brought  out,  such  grace 
being  man's  only  hope  of  salvation.  Thus  the 
law  becomes  a  pedagogue  to  lead  to  Christ 
(Gal.  3  :  24)  J  and  the  glory  of  his  gospel  is  that  he 
makes  men  free  from  the  curse  of  the  law.  Law 
thus  drives  the  sinner  to  the  gospel  by  its  very 
contrast. 

On  the  other  hand  the  ritual  devices  for  atone- 
ment are  never  represented  as  intensifying  con- 
demnation, but  rather  as  producing  an  imperfect 

17 


18 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  I. 


and  temporary  alleviation  of  guilt  ( Heb.  lo :  i,  seq. ) . 
They  are  done  away  in  Christ  as  the  stars  pale 
before  the  sun ;  they  have  efiected  typically,  or 
as  a  makeshift,  what  Christ  eflects  perfectly ; 
and  as  types  and  shadows  they  are  rejected  in 
the  presence  of  the  substance  or  reality  on 
account  of  their  weakness  and  unprofitableness 
(Heb.  7  :  18).  They  tlius  lead  to  the  gospel  by 
their  inadequacy  as  devices  for  the  same  expia- 
tory purpose. 

We  call  the  atonement  which  was  wrought 
through  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  a  type  of 
the  atonement  wrought  by  Christ.  In  drawing 
out  and  insisting  on  the  resemblances,  however, 
between  the  type  and  the  fulfillment,  theologians 
have  perhaps  fallen  into  an  error  in  supposing 
that  the  older  sacrifice  foreshadows  Christ  by 
its  form  rather  than  by  its  effect  on  men.  The 
typical  sacrifice  has  been  thought  of  as  a  sort  of 
ritual  enacting,  by  means  of  animal  victims  and 
purely  for  its  predictive  value,  of  what  God  was 
going  to  do  for  mankind  in  the  future  by  means 
of  a  divine-human  victim.  As  a  result  the  type 
has  insisted  on  dominating  and  narrowing  our 
understanding  of  the  fulfillment.  Artificial  and 
conventional  as  the  I'cmoving  of  sin  through  the 
blood  of  slain  victims  necessarily  is,  the  crude 
artificiality  of  the  type  has  clung  to  the  antitype, 
and  dogma  has  been  inclined  to  deny  the  benefits 
of  the  work  of  Christ  to  all  except  those  who 
can  receive  him  as  a  slain  victim  saving  them 
by  the  sprinkling  of  his  literal  blood. 

But  should  we  not  rather  say  that  the  animal 
sacrifice  typified  Christ  by  its  effect  rather  than 
by  its  form  ?  The  principal  use  which  the  type 
subserved  lay  in  its  effect  on  the  people  of  its 
own  day.  Consider  what  the  people  of  the  earlier 
time  need  to  have  done  for  them  in  advance  of  the 
coming  of  Christ.  Do  they  need  a  ritual  object- 
lesson  to  serve  as  a  chart  of  the  doctrinal  mean- 
ing of  some  history  to  be  enacted  in  the  distant 
future  ?  Do  they  not  rather  need  something  to 
put  them  into  a  state  of  grace,  or  into  the  way 
of  salvation,  now  ?  Generation  after  generation 
Avill  come  upon  the  earth  and  die  before  the 
Redeemer  will  appear  in  the  flesh :  is  there  to 
be  no  possibility  of  salvation  for  the  Avorld 
meanwhile  ?  If  mere  moral  law  is  what  Paul 
says  it  is,  men  can  derive  from  it  only  condemna- 
tion, for  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh 
be  justified.  Is  there  no  way  by  which  men 
trembling  under  an  awakened  sense  of  sin  may 
persuade  themselves  that  God  will  forgive  ?  Is 
there  no  way  to  foster  the  sense  of  reconciliation 
and  communion  with  God,  as  distinguished  from 
the  sense  of  shortcoming  and  guilt?    If  in  all 


ages  of  the  world  salvation  means  peace  with 
God  or  access  to  his  grace,  then  there  needed  to 
be  something,  even  before  Christ  came,  which 
aimed  at  peace  and  reconciliation,  and  so  gave 
the  possibility  of  a  life  of  spontaneous  devotion. 

These  expiatory  contrivances  were,  for  those 
who  needed  them,  such  a  means  of  approach  to 
God.  God  has  always  been  a  God  of  grace  as 
well  as  a  God  of  law.  Those  who  have  found 
and  lived  in  that  grace  have  been  justified  or 
saved.  The  great  difiiculty  has  been  to  enable 
men  who  were  awakened  to  the  holiness  of  God 
to  conceive  of  that  grace  as  possible.  Something 
that  could  stand  for  an  appeasing  of  anger  by 
means  of  a  victim,  or  for  a  producing  of  satis- 
faction by  means  of  a  gift,  has  been  to  the  mind 
a  help  in  getting  over  the  difiiculties  which  its 
training  or  its  perversity  have  placed  in  the 
way  of  free  divine  favor.  If  God  must  have  a 
victim  the  ritual  provides  it,  as  the  sinner  feels, 
in  a  divinely  ordained  way.  So  when  the  priest 
sprinkled  the  blood  and  pronounced  the  atoning 
words  there  stole  over  the  soul,  temporarily  at 
least,  a  sense  of  reconciliation  and  favor  which 
was  a  real  drawing  near  to  the  goodness  of  God. 
In  its  clumsy  and  shadowing  way  the  ritual 
ministered  the  grace  of  God  which  bringeth 
salvation. 

Thus  in  its  effect  on  the  worshiper  the  slain 
victim  was  a  type  of  Christ.  The  ritual  was  a 
ministration  of  grace.  It  served  as  a  device  for 
making  men  feel  that  they  were  no  longer 
enemies  of  God.  The  type  was  given  because  it 
was  needed  for  a  real  purpose,  namely,  present 
reconciliation.  The  manner  in  which  the  type 
produced  this  effect  on  its  own  age  may  not  have 
been  essential  to  the  correspondence  of  the  anti- 
type. It  is  suflUcient  that  it  foreshadowed  Christ 
by  doing  imperfectly  what  he  did  perfectly  and 
once  for  all.  The  ritual  expiation  foreshadowed 
the  spiritual  reconciliation  in  Christ  by  its  effect 
rather  than  by  its  form. 

If,  then,  God  gave  a  ritual  in  order  to  produce 
an  effect  for  the  time  being,  may  we  not  say  that 
the  spiritual  or  eternal  reality  corresponding  to 
that  effect  is  all  that  is  essential  to  Christ's  ful- 
fillment of  the  ceremonial  law  ?  It  is  true,  the 
author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  teaches 
that  Christ  is  for  mankind  what  both  priest  and 
victim  were  to  the  Israelites — that  he  offered 
himself  once  for  all  to  God,  and  that  his  blood 
cleanses  the  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve 
the  living  God.  But  does  this  mean  that  every 
one  must  understand  Christ  as  a  literal  victim 
slain  to  appease  or  propitiate  God,  or  only  that 
those  who  have  been  brought  up  to  feel  such  a 


Ch.  L] 


LEVITICUS 


19 


CHAPTER    I. 


1  AND  the  Lord  called  unto  Moses,  and  spake 
unto  him  out  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
saying, 


1      AND  the  Lord  called  unto  Moses,  and  spake 
unto  him  out  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  saying, 


victim  necessary  will  find  all  their  demands  met 
in  Christ — that  for  those  who  must  think  of 
God's  salvation  in  terms  of  victims  and  blood- 
sprinklings  and  washings  there  is  the  most 
abundant  correspondence  in  Christ's  death  to 
every  essential  feature  of  the  ritual  ?  In  other 
words,  this  author's  explanation  of  Christ's 
atonement  by  the  Levitical  ritual  means  that  for 
the  believer  who  needs  it  Christ  may  coincide 
with  and  satisfy  all  these  forms  of  expiation, 
but  not  necessarily  that  he  must  present  himself 
in  these  Levitical  forms  to  every  type  of  mind 
in  order  that  his  work  may  have  its  saving  effect. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  many  minds  experience  the 
spiritual  effect  of  the  Saviour's  work,  that  is, 
are  brought  into  loving  and  trustful  and  fruitful 
communion  with  the  God  of  grace,  to  whom  the 
thought  of  a  God  who  cannot  save  without  first 
being  appeased  with  blood  is  an  utterly  repug- 
nant one.  No  man  fully  understands  the  method 
of  the  Saviour's  atonement,  but  if  that  inefiable 
life  and  character  and  death,  however  appre- 
hended, produces  in  the  believer  a  loving  and 
aspiring  walk  with  God,  all  that  is  essential  to 
the  type  is  fulfilled  in  the  antitype ;  the  Leviti- 
cal ceremonial  as  an  expedient  for  access  to  the 
grace  of  God  has  found  its  fulfillment  in  the 
spiritual  fellowship  of  the  believer  with  God 
and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

I.  Law  of  the  five  principal  types  of 
SACRIFICE,  1  :  1  to  6  :  7. 

Chap.  1.  1.  And  the  Lord  called  unto 
Moses.  It  is  a  part  of  the  universal  and  eter- 
nal religious  instinct  to  observe  forms.  The 
impulse  to  order  and  propriety  is  an  essential 
element  in  religion.  In  this  sense  the  eternal 
God  speaks  eternally  through  ceremonial.  The 
particular  form  of  ritual  may  change  with  the 
circumstances  or  needs  or  capabilities  of  the 
people.  The  whole  system,  as  in  this  case,  may 
pass  out  of  use,  but  the  spirit  of  ceremonial,  as 
we  may  call  it,  is  eternal  and  belongs  to  all  re- 
ligion. Asa  recent  author  has  said  (Prof.  Ed- 
ward Slosson,  in  the  "  Independent "  for  March 
8,  1900)  :  "Inreality  the  foundation  of  ritualism 
is  not  historical  or  theological  but  psychological. 
Any  long-established  religion  develops  uncon- 
sciously those  particular  rites  that  are  best  fitted 
for  exciting  religious  emotion."  The  same 
writer  goes  on  to  remark:  "One  of  the  main 
objects  of  ecclesiastical  forms  is  the  development 
of  a  religious  life  by  isolating  it  from  common 


life.  The  set  days  and  hours  with  which  no 
other  duty  must  interfere,  the  sanctified  place 
or  building  where  nothing  profane  is  allowed  to 
enter,  the  ecclesiastical  architecture  and  fur- 
nishings, the  archaic  pronunciations  and  pecu- 
liar intonations,  the  vestments  and  music,  the 
postures  and  movements,  all  these  are  associated 
with  religious  emotions  and  experiences  and 
with  nothing  else,  so  that  they  have  the  power 
of  reviving  and  instigating  devotional  feelings. 
If  all  one's  religious  training  and  experiences 
from  childhood  have  been  connected  with  cer- 
tain sights  and  sounds  these  will  have  an  influ- 
ence over  the  emotional  nature  that  is  astonish- 
ing to  one  who  has  been  otherwise  trained.  .  . 
Rites  arbitrary  in  origin  become  the  language 
of  the  soul,  so  that  if  the  power  of  these  is  lost  it 
sometimes  happens  that  all  faith  is  lost  too."  If 
the  observance  of  ceremonial  becomes  inimical 
to  spiritual  religion  it  is  because  it  is  insincere 
or  imitative  or  no  longer  expresses  the  feeling  of 
the  worshiper,  not  because  it  is  a  form.  Some 
form  even  the  most  spiritual  will  inevitably 
observe  in  approaching  God ;  some  feeling  that 
the  merely  natural  or  free  and  easy  is  not  seemly 
in  the  divine  presence  will  pervade  even  the 
most  fervent  and  quietistic.  Though  it  be  no 
more  than  the  adoption  of  the  solemn  style  of 
speech  or  the  uncovering  of  the  head  there  will 
be  some  minimum  of  form  which  the  mind  will 
never  outgrow.  And  this  form,  whatever  its 
historical  origin,  will  have  for  the  mind  the 
force  of  prescription  ;  the  habitual  will  become 
sacred,  so  that  that  which  is  incongruous  will 
cause  pain  or  laughter  and  innovation  will  pro- 
duce a  shock.  In  this  sense,  namely,  as  adapted 
to  the  permanent  instincts  of  men,  ceremonial 
religion  is  eternal.  The  Jehovah  who  spoke  to 
Moses,  bidding  him  make  men's  sacrifices  or- 
derly, speaks  as  the  eternal  God  to  the  deepest 
instincts  of  mankind  through  form  and  the 
striving  after  a  higher  or  exclusively  religious 
order  and  propriety.  As  a  generalized  or  eter- 
nal truth  this  assertion  that  God  spake  thus 
teaches  that  the  ritual  feeling  is  of  divine  origin. 
The  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 
In  the  Revised  version  this  phrase  is  uniformly 
rendered  tent  of  meeting,  meaning  not  the  place 
of  assembly  for  the  congregation  but  the  place 
where  the  Lord  was  to  be  met.  The  literal  ren- 
dering of  the  phrase  is,  tent  of  appointment.  It 
referred  to  the  tabernacle  as  a  whole,  as  God's 


20 


LEVITICUS 


[Cii.  I. 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  If  any  man  of  you  bring  an  offering  unto  the 
Lord,  ye  shall  bring  your  offering  of  the  cattle,  even 
of  the  herd,  and  of  the  flock. 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  any  man  of  you  offereth  an  obla- 
tion unto  the  Lord,  ye  shall  offer  your  oblation 
of  the  cattle,  even  of  the  herd  and  of  the  flock. 


appointed  place  for  manifesting  himself— Jeho- 
vah's headquarters,  as  it  were.  It  was  here  that 
Jehovah  promised  to  meet  and  commune  with 
Moses  (Exod.  25  :  22)^  and  this  revelation  to 
Moses  in  Leviticus  appears  to  be  the  fulfillment 
of  that  promise.  Over  this  tent  the  cloud  rested 
(Exod.  40  :  34)^  and  witliin  it  was  the  myste- 
rious glory  which  symbolized  the  presence  of 
Jehovah  (ibid.,  35).  As  the  law  of  the  Ten 
Commandments  was  given  from  Mount  Sinai 
(Exod.  19),  so  these  priestly  laws  purport  to 
have  been  given  from  the  cloud  after  it  had 
been  transferred  to  its  resting-place  in  the  camp 
above  the  tent  of  meeting. 

These  laws  are  stated  to  have  been  given  in 
Mount  Sinai,  i.  e.,  perhaps  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai  (see  7  :  38;  26  :  46;  27 :  34).  If  they  Were 
given  from  the  completed  tabernacle  it  must 
have  been  some  time  between  the  first  day  of 
the  first  month  (Exod.  4o  :  2)  of  the  second  year 
of  the  exodus  and  the  twentieth  day  of  the 
second  month  (Num.  10 :  11)  when  the  tabernacle 
and  the  congregation  left  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai  for  the  desert  of  Paran. 

2.  If  any  man  of  you  bring.  It  is  to  be 
noticed  that  the  custom  of  sacrifice  is  treated  as 
an  old  and  familiar  thing.  The  function  of  the 
lawgiver  is  regulative  rather  than  creative ;  it 
is  to  prescribe  an  orderly  method  for  what  peo- 
ple are  in  the  habit  of  doing  instead  of  to  com- 
mand their  practice  de  novo.  Sacrifice  had  been 
common  from  the  earliest  times ;  it  was  a  spon- 
taneous form  of  religious  expression.  The  effect 
of  the  book  of  Leviticus  was  to  curb  its  extrava- 
gances, to  bring  its  rules  into  such  shape  as  to 
give  the  least  encouragement  to  idolatry ;  in 
short,  to  place  it  under  regulation  by  means  of 
a  ritual.  An  offering.  This  word,  in  He- 
brew, l^'^.P,  Qdrbdn,  is  so  characteristic  of  Le- 
viticus and  Numbers  that  it  may  be  taken  as  a 
sort  of  note  of  the  class  of  conceptions  with 
which  these  books  predominantly  deal.  The 
word,  outside  of  these  two  books,  occurs  only 
twice  in  Ezekiel  (20:28;  40:43),  and  twice  in 
a  little  different  form  in  Nehemiah  (10  :  34; 
13 :  31),  in  the  latter  book  referring  to  the  wood 
offering  for  the  temple  sacrifices.  It  means  a 
gift  and  is  so  translated  by  the  LXX,  but  it  is 
a  sacred  gift,  a  gift  that  is  brought  near  to  God. 
The  books  of  Leviticus  and  Numbers  contain 
regulations  for  that  department  of  human  effort 
which    seeks   to  give    something    directly   to 


God,  to  send  some  token  of  good-will  visibly  to 
heaven.  Material  things  can  only  in  a  conven- 
tional or  constructive  way  be  sent  to  God,  and 
the  method  hit  upon  from  the  earliest  times  was 
to  send  the  smoke  or  odor  of  the  sacred  object 
into  the  air.  If  the  whole  object  was  not  thus 
sent  to  God,  the  inemorial,  or  representative 
portion,  at  least,  was  burnt,  and  the  remainder 
was  set  apart  for  the  use  of  the  priest.  Objects 
thus  set  apart  as  well  as  the  acts  connected  with 
the  offering  came  to  possess  in  the  minds  of  the 
people  a  peculiar  quality,  the  quality  of  being 
sacred,  or  separated  from,  and  elevated  above, 
the  ordinary  things  of  life.  Hence  arose  that 
rigid  distinction  between  the  sacred  and  the 
secular,  or  the  holy  and  the  common,  a  distinc- 
tion which  it  was  the  cherished  purpose  of  the 
priestly  legislation  to  emphasize  (^^ee  10 :  10 ;  Ezek. 
22  :  26  ;  42  :  20 ;  44 :  23).  The  act  of  Sending  things 
by  their  smoke  or  savor  directly  to  God  even- 
tually became  simply  symbolical  of  the  act  of 
prayer,  and  as  religion  grew  more  spiritual  the 
idea  that  the  gift  offering  had  any  value  in  the 
sight  of  God  ceased  to  commend  itself  to  the 

prophetic    mind    (Ps.  51   :    16;    69    :    31:    Isa.  1  :  11-13). 

It  was  as  a  house  of  prayer  that  the  temple  was 
appraised  by  the  prophets  (isa.  56  :  7).  But  as 
prayer  takes  the  place  of  its  symbol  in  public 
worship,  the  idea  of  giving  a  pleasing  gift  for 
God's  enjoyment  passes  away.  It  is  the  draw- 
ing near  of  the  whole  person,  the  linking  of 
human  helplessness  to  divine  might,  of  human 
frailty  to  divine  mercy,  that  takes  the  place  of 
the  smug  satisfaction  of  contributing  to  God's 
enjoyment,  and  that  externalizing  of  prayer 
which  arose  from  the  thought  of  the  act  as  meri- 
torious or  plea.sing  in  itself  was  stigmatized  by 
our  Lord  as  hypocritical  (Matt.  6:  5)  and  even  hea- 
thenish (ibid.,  7).  On  the  same  Pharisaic  theory 
of  the  preeminent  meritoriousness  of  public 
worship,  the  act  of  setting  apart  property  for 
sacred  uses,  or  making  it  Corban,  came  in 
process  of  time  to  be  placed  above  plain  moral 
duties,  and  was  denounced  by  Christ  (Mark  7 :  ii). 
The  teachings  of  our  Lord,  indeed,  and  of  tlie 
apostles,  tended  to  replace  the  idea  of  giving 
directly  to  God  by  a  better  and  more  rational 
one  (Matt.  25  :  4o),  and  to  reveal  to  spiritual  ap- 
prehension the  principle  that  the  distinction 
between  the  clean  arid  the  unclean,  the  holy 
and  the  common,  is  not  a  final  or  eternal  truth 

(John  4  :  31-24  ;   Rom.  14  :  14  ;    1  Tim.  4  :  4). 


Ch.  I.] 


LEVITICUS 


21 


3  If  his  offering  be  a  burnt  sacrifice  of  the  herd, 
let  him  offer  a  male  without  blemish  :  he  sliall  offer 
it  of  his  own  voluntary  will  at  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation  before  the  Lord. 

4  And  he  shall  put  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the 
burnt  offering  ;  and  it  shall  be  accepted  for  him  to 
make  atonement  for  him. 

5  And  he  shall  kill  the  bullock  before  the  Lord  : 
and  the  priests,  Aaron's  sons,  shall  bring  the  blood, 
and  sprinkle  the  blood  round  about  upon  the  altar 
that  is  by  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congre- 
gation. 

6  And  he  shall  flay  the  burnt  offering,  and  cut  it 
into  his  pieces. 


3  If  his  oblation  be  a  burnt  offering  of  the  herd, 
he  shall  offer  it  a  male  without  blemish  •  he  shall 
offer  it  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  tha^ 

4  he  may  be  accepted  before  the  Lord.  And  he 
shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  burnt 
offering ;  and  it  shall  be  accepted  for  him  to 

5  make  atonement  for  him.  And  he  shall  kill  the 
bullock  before  the  Lord  :  and  Aaron's  sons,  the 
priests,  shall  present  the  blood,  and  sprinkle  the 
blood  round  about  upon  the  altar  that  is  at  the 

6  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting.  And  he  shall  flay 
the  burnt  offering,  and  cut  it  into  its  pieces. 


The  peculiar  form  of  the  beginning  of  this 
clause  in  the  Hebrew — "a  man  if,"  cf.  "a  soul 
if,"  4  :  2,  "a  man  or  woman  if,"  13  :  29— is 
pointed  out  by  modern  critics  as  one  of  the 
characteristic  marks  of  style  in  the  Priest- Code, 
or  P.,  of  which  Leviticus  largely  consists,  dis- 
tinguishing it  from  the  earlier  document  JE., 
which  forms  a  considerable  portion  of  Genesis 
and  Exodus.  This  theory  of  the  documentary 
character  of  the  Pentateuch  assumes  the  non- 
Mosaic  authorship  of  the  books  in  their  present 
form.  The  only  profession  made  in  the  book 
(for  the  title  does  not  belong  to  the  original 
book),  is  that  it  was  revealed  to  Moses  in  the 
wilderness  of  Sinai.  It  is  possible  for  it  to  be 
substantially  Mosaic,  i.  e.,  a  following  out  of 
the  spirit  and  intention  of  Moses,  while  still  a 
collection  and  codification,  made  by  later  hands, 
of  the  great  body  of  priestly  teachings  and  work- 
ing formulas  which  had  grown  up  during 
Israel's  national  history. 

The  burnt  offering.  Three  forms  of  burnt 
offering  are  specified:  from  the  herd,  i.  e.,  of 
larger  cattle  (ver.  3-9) ^  from  the  flock,  i.  e., 
smaller  cattle  (ver.  10-13) ^  and  birds  (ver.  n-n). 
The  directions  for  these  three  kinds  are  pre- 
sented with  only  such  difference  of  detail  as  is 
made  necessary  by  the  different  natures  of  the 
animals.  3.  Any  offering  of  larger  or  smaller 
cattle  must  be  a  male  without  blemish ;  the 
person  is  to  offer  it  for  his  acceptance,  not  of 
his  own  voluntary  will,  before  Jehovah. 
Cf.  R.  V.  He  is  to  place  his  hand  on  the  head 
of  the  victim  that  it  may  be  accepted  for  him. 
This  placing  the  hands  on  the  head  of  the  ani- 
mal fostered  and  expressed  the  feeling  that  the 
offerer  was  thus  identifying  himself  with  his 
victim,  and  thus  in  reality  offering  himself  to 
God,  as  is  done  in  the  consummate  act  of  prayer 
which  the  rite  symbolized.  The  offerer  is  next 
to  kill  the  animal,  i.  c,  perhaps,  take  some 
ostensible  part  in  the  killing  that  shall  make  it 
constructively  his  personal  act,  while  no  doubt 
leaving  most  of  the  work  to  the  more  practised 
Levites.  The  priests  are  to  dash  the  blood  on 
the  altar  round  about.     This  dashing  is  a  way 


of  disposing  of  the  blood  in  quantity,  and  differs 
from  the  sprinkling  in  4  :  6, 17 ;  16  :  14,  15,  etc., 
for  which  a  different  word  is  used,  and  which 
was  done  with  the  finger.  The  priests  are  then 
to  flay  the  animal  and  divide  it  into  pieces,  to 
place  the  parts  in  an  orderly  manner  on  the  altar, 
taking  care  to  wash  the  inwards  and  legs,  and 
then  to  burn  the  whole  with  fire.  It  is  to  be 
noted  that  in  the  case  of  sheep  or  goats  the  side 
of  the  altar  on  which  they  are  to  be  killed  is 
specified.  This  is  the  only  passage  that  informs 
us  where  the  offering  was  to  be  killed,  though 
elsewhere  it  is  specified  that  the  sin  and  guilt 
offerings  were  to  be  slain  in  the  same  place  (* : 
24, 29,  33;  7 : 2).  It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  in  the 
case  of  birds  the  priest  is  to  do  the  killing,  and 
that  the  blood  is  apparently  to  be  allowed  to 
sprinkle  itself  as  it  is  drained  out  at  the  side  of 
the  altar,  and  also  that  the  crop  with  the 
feathers  (not  filth  as  in  R.  V.,  which  is  philo- 
logically  inadmissible)  is  not  to  be  burned  but 
to  be  thrown  out  in  the  place  of  the  ashes. 

The  peculiarity  in  the  form  of  the  burnt  offer- 
ing, distinguishing  it  from  all  other  forms  of 
sacrifice,  is  that  it  is  wholly  consumed  on  the 
altar,  while  in  the  case  of  the  others  only  selected 
portions  are  burned.  The  main  idea  of  the 
burnt  offering,  expressed  by  the  offerer  through 
the  act  of  laying  his  hand  on  the  victim's  head, 
is  the  idea  of  self-dedication  to  Jehovah.  The 
life  of  the  victim  was,  as  it  were,  presented  to 
God.  At  the  same  time  the  thought  of  a  propi- 
tiation, even  in  this  form  of  sacrifice,  is  not 
wanting.  4.  Note  the  expression.  To  make 
atonement  for  him.  The  theory  of  its  ac- 
ceptability, reiterated  in  every  separate  case,  is 
that  it  is  an  "odor  of  satisfaction"  unto  Je- 
hovah (comp.  Gen.  8  :  21).  The  Hebrew  word 
T'tSpn,  Mqtir,  used  for  the  act  of  burning,  in 
connection  with  the  sacrifices,  does  not  empha- 
size the  consuming  of  the  thing  burnt,  as  does 
the  ordinary  word,  ^"l^,  sdrCiph  (see  e.  g.,  *  =  12), 
but  rather  means  to  cau^e  to  smoke  or  ascend,  as 
if  the  primary  aim  was  to  furnish  an  agreeable 
odor  for  Jehovah's  satisfaction. 

The  broad,  simple  feeling  which  was  fostered 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  II. 


7  And  the  sons  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  put  fire 
upon  the  altar,  and  lay  the  wood  in  order  upon  the 
fire: 

8  And  the  priests,  Aaron's  sons,  shall  lay  the 
parts,  the  head,  and  the  fat,  in  order  upon  the  wood 
that  is  on  the  tire  which  is  upon  the  altar : 

9  But  his  inwards  and  his  legs  shall  he  wash  in 
water :  and  the  priest  shall  burn  all  on  the  altar,  to 
be  a  burnt  sacrilice,  an  offering  made  by  lire,  of  a 
sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

10  And  if  his  offering  be  of  the  flocks,  namely,  of 
tlie  sheep,  or  of  the  goats,  for  a  burnt  sacrifice";  he 
shall  bring  it  a  male  without  blemish. 

11  And  he  shall  kill  it  on  the  side  of  the  altar 
northward  before  the  Lord :  and  the  priests,  Aaron's 
sons,  shall  sprinkle  his  blood  round  about  upon  the 
altar. 

12  And  he  shall  cut  it  into  his  pieces,  with  his 
head  and  his  fat :  and  the  priest  shall  l;iy  them  in 
order  on  the  wood  that  is  on  the  lire  which  is  upon 
the  altar: 

la  But  he  shall  wash  the  inwards  and  the  legs 
with  water:  and  the  priest  shall  bring  lY  all,  and 
burn  it  upon  the  altar :  it  is  a  burnt  sacrifice,  an 
offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the 
Lord. 

14  And  if  the  burnt  sacrifice  for  his  offering  to 
the  Lord  be  of  fowls,  then  he  shall  bring  his  offer- 
ing of  turtledoves,  or  of  young  pigeons. 

15  And  the  priest  shall  bring  it  unto  the  altar, 
and  wring  off  his  head,  and  burn  it  on  the  altar; 
and  the  blood  thereof  shall  be  wrung  out  at  the 
side  of  the  altar : 

16  And  he  shall  pluck  away  his  crop  with  his 
feathers,  and  cast  it  beside  tlie  altar  on  the  east 
part,  by  the  place  of  the  ashes : 

17  And  he  shall  cleave  it  with  the  wings  thereof, 
but  shall  not  divide  it  asunder :  and  the  priest  shall 
burn  it  upon  the  altar,  upon  the  wood  that  is  upon 
the  fire  :  it  is  a  burnt  sacrifice,  an  offering  made  by 
fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 


7  And  the  sons  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  put  fire 
upon  the  altar,  and  lay  wood  in  order  upon  tiie 

8  fire :  and  Aaron's  sons,  the  priests,  shall  lay  the 
pieces,  the  head,  and  the  fat,  in  order  upon  the 
wood  that  is  on  the  fire  which  is  upon  the  altar: 

9  but  its  inwards  and  its  legs  shall  ho  wash  with 
water :  and  the  priest  shall  burn  the  whole  on 
the  altar,  for  a  burnt  oft"ering,  an  offering  made 
by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

10  And  if  his  oblation  be  of  the  flock,  of  the 
sheep,  or  of  the  goats,  for  a  burnt  offering ;  he 

11  shall  offer  it  a  male  without  blemish.  And  he 
shall  kill  it  on  the  side  of  the  altar  northward 
before  tlie  Lord  :  and  Aaron's  sons,  the  priests, 
shall  sprinkle  its  blood  upon  the  altar  round 

12  about.  And  he  shall  cut  it  into  its  pieces,  with 
its  head  and  its  fat :  and  the  priest  shall  lay  them 
in  order  on  the  wood  that  is  on  the  fire  which  is 

13  upon  the  altar:  but  the  inwards  and  the  legs 
shall  he  wash  with  water :  and  the  priest  shall 
offer  the  whole,  and  burn  it  upon  the  altar:  it  is 
a  burnt  offering,  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a 
sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

14  And  if  his  oblation  to  the  Lord  be  a  burnt 
offering  of  fowls,  then  he  shall  offer  his  oblation 

15  of  turtledoves,  or  of  yoinig  pigeons.  And  the 
priest  shall  bring  it  unto  the  altar,  and  wring  off 
its  head,  and  burn  it  on  the  altar  ;  and  the  blood 
thereof  shall  be  drained  out  on  the  side  of  the 

16  altar:  and  he  shall  take  away  its  crop  with  the 
filth  thereof,  and  cast  it  beside  the  altar  on  the 

17  east  part,  in  the  place  of  the  ashes :  and  he  shall 
rend  it  by  the  wings  thereof,  but  shall  not  divide 
it  asunder :  and  the  priest  shall  burn  it  upon  the 
altar,  upon  the  wood  that  is  upon  the  fire :  it  is 
a  burnt  offering,  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a 
sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 


CHAPTEE    II. 


1  AND  when  any  will  offer  a  meat  offering  unto 
the  Lord,  his  offering  shall  be  of  fine  flour  ;  and  he 
shall  pouroil  upon  it,  and  put  frankincense  thereon: 


1  AND  when  any  one  offereth  an  oblation  of  a 
meal  offering  unto  the  Lord,  his  oblation  shall 
be  of  fine  flour ;  and  he  shall  pour  oil  upon  it, 


by  this  form  of  worship  was  the  feeling  that 
Jehovah  was  pleased  with  an  offering  of  the 
self  Avhieh  was  also  a  losing  of  the  self  in  him. 
The  whole  victim  was  reduced  to  the  volatile 
form  of  smoke  or  odor  and  ascended  visibly  to 
the  skies.  The  immense  effectiveness  of  this 
form  of  spectacular  teaching  was  far  more  than 
an  offset  to  any  danger  lurking  in  the  notion 
that  God  derived  an  animal  pleasure  from  the 
smell  of  smoke.  That  notion  was  sure  to  be  felt 
to  be  only  a  fiction  or  emblem  of  a  great  spir- 
itual truth,  while  on  the  other  hand  the  feeling 
that  God  is  pleased  with  the  heartfelt  ascent  to 
him  of  all  that  is  most  spiritual  and  aspiring  in 
humanity  would  grow  as  intimacy  with  his 
kindness  increased,  and  would  derive  new 
strength  and  vividness  from  each  new  clothing 
of  the  truth  in  the  visibility  of  material  sacrifice. 


Chap.  2.  1-10.  The  meal  offering.  The 
word  which  designated  this  offering  is  nnjD, 
mtnchdh,  which  means  a  gift,  such,  for  instance, 
as  Jacob  brought  to  Esau  to  propitiate  him 
(Gen.  32: 13, 18),  or  the  brethren  of  Joseph  car- 


ried on  their  second  visit  to  Egypt  as  a  propi- 
tiatory gift  to  the  governor  (Gen.  43  :  ii).  In 
general  the  minchah  was  a  gift  from  an  inferior 
to  a  superior,  a  gift  expressing  homage.  As  a 
sacrifice  the  minchah  is  the  antithesis  of  the 
n^T,  zebhdch,  or  slain  offering ;  the  minchah  be- 
ing in  general  the  bloodless  or  meal  offering.  The 
two  terms,  zebhach  and  minchah,  taken  together, 
designate  the  two  inclusive  kinds  of  sacrifice,  the 
animal  or  slain,  and  the  vegetable  or  bloodless 
offerings,  as  in  Ps.  40  :  6,  "zebhach  and  min- 
chah thou  hast  no  delight  in"  (see  also  i  sam. 
3  :  14).  In  the  Law  the  minchah  is  generally 
treated  as  an  accompaniment  of  the  burnt  offer- 
ing or  peace  offering,  rather  than  as  an  inde- 
pendent sacrifice.  It  was  an  actual  and  useful 
present  to  the  priests,  only  the  memorial,  or 
small  part  of  it  as  representing  the  whole,  being 
burned  on  the  altar.  3femorial,  n^3TJ^,  'dzkd- 
rah,  is  a  technical  term  and  describes  the  of- 
fered portion  as  that  which,  as  ascending  di- 
rectly to  heaven,  brings  the  whole  gift  into 
remembrance  before  Jehovah.  The  rest  of  the 
offering  was  treated  as  most  holy,  i.  e.,  most 


Ch.  II.] 


LEVITICUS 


23 


2  And  he  shall  bring  it  to  Aaron's  sons  the  priests  : 
and  he  shall  take  thei'eout  his  handful  of  the  flour 
thereof,  and  of  the  oil  thereof,  with  all  the  frank- 
incense thereof ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  the 
memorial  of  it  upon  the  altar,  to  be  an  offering 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  : 

3  And  the  remnant  of  the  meat  offering  shall  he 
Aaron's  and  his  sons' :  it  is  a  thing  most  holy  of  the 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  lire. 

4  And  if  thou  bring  an  oblation  of  a  meatoffer- 
ing baken  in  the  oven,  it  shall  be  unleavened  cakes 
of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  or  unleavened  wafers 
anointed  with  oil. 

5  And  if  thy  oblation  be  a  meat  offering  bakeii  in 
a  pan,  it  shall  be  of  tine  flour  unleavened,  mingled 
with  oil. 

6  Thou  Shalt  part  it  in  pieces,  and  pour  oil  there- 
on :  it  is  a  meat  offering. 

7  And  if  tiiy  oblation  be  a  meat  offering  baken  in 
the  fryingpan,  it  shall  be  made  of  tine  flour  with  oil. 

8  And  thou  shalt  bring  the  meat  offering  that  is 
made  of  these  things  unto  the  Lord  :  and  when  it 
is  presented  unto  the  priest,  he  shall  bring  it  unto 
the  altar. 

9  And  the  priest  shall  take  from  the  meat  offer- 
ing a  memorial  thereof,  and  shall  burn  it  upon  the 
altar :  it  is  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet 
savour  unto  the  Lord. 

10  And  that  which  is  left  of  the  meat  offering 
shall  be  Aaron's  and  his  sons' :  it  is  a  thing  most 
holy  of  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire. 


2  and  put  frankincense  thereon:  and  he  shall 
bring  it  to  Aaron's  sons  the  priests :  and  he  shall 
take  thereout  his  handful  of  the  fine  flour  thereof, 
and  of  the  oil  thereof,  with  all  the  frankincense 
thereof ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  it  as  the  me- 
morial thereof  upon  the  altar,  an  offering  made 

3  by  file,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  :  and 
that  which  is  left  of  the  meal  offering  shall  be 
Aaron's  and  his  sons' :  it  is  a  thing  most  holy  of 
the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire. 

4  And  when  thou  offerest  an  oblation  of  a  meal 
offering  baken  in  the  oven,  it  shall  be  unleav- 
ened cakes  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  or  un- 

5  leavened  wafers  anointed  with  oil.  And  if  thy 
oblation  be  a  meal  offering  of  the  baking  pan,  it 
shall  be  of  fine  flour  unleavened,  mingled  with 

6  oil.    Thou  shalt  part  it  in  pieces,  and  pour  oil 

7  thereon  :  it  is  a  meal  offering.  And  if  thy  obla- 
tion be  a  meal  offering  of  the  frying  pan,  it  shall 

8  be  made  of  fine  flour  with  oil.  And  thou  shalt 
bring  the  meal  offering  that  is  made  of  these 
things  unto  the  Lord  :  and  it  shall  be  presented 
unto  the  priest,  and  he  shall  bring  it  unto  the 

9  altar.  And  the  priest  shall  take  up  from  the 
meal  offering  the  memorial  thereof,  and  shall 
burn  it  upon  the  altar :  an  offering  made  by  fire, 

10  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord.  And  that 
which  is  left  of  the  meal  offering  shall  be  Aaron's 
and  his  sons' :  it  is  a  thing  most  holy  of  the 


exclusively  set  apart  for  the  priests'  use,  or  most 
sedulously  protected  from  secular  profanation. 
"Among  the  dues  of  the  priests  a  distinction 
was  made  between  the  holy  and  the  most  holy 
offerings.  The  latter  could  be  eaten  only  (1) 
by  the  priests,  and  (2)  in  a  holy  place,  i.  e., 
within  the  courts  of  the  sanctuary.  The  former 
could  be  eaten  by  the  priests  and  any  members 
of  their  family  or  household,  in  any  clean 
place.  In  both  cases  it  was  necessary  for  the 
person  who  partook  of  the  gifts  to  be  in  a  con- 
dition of  ceremonial  purity  "  (Dkiver).  When 
the  offering  was  of  uncooked  flour,  or  of  parched 
grains  of  first-gathered  corn,  it  was  to  be  accom- 
panied by  a  small  quantity  of  frankincense, 
which  as  a  sacred  substance  was  all  to  be  taken 
for  fumigation. 

The  three  forms  of  the  minchah  enumerated 
are :  fine  flour  with  frankincense  (ver.  i-s)^  cakes 
and  wafers  of  fine  flour  (ver.  4-8) ^  and  parched 
grains  of  earliest  harvested  corn  with  frankin- 
cense (ver.  14-16).  Of  the  cake  offerings  several 
varieties  are  mentioned,  distinguished  by  the 
kind  of  utensil  with  which  they  are  cooked, 
and  designated  as  "minchah  baked  in  the 
oven"  (ver.  4)j  " minchah  on  the  pan"  (ver.  5)^ 
and  "minchah  of  the  pot"  (ver.  7).  The  first 
kind  of  offering,  that  of  uncooked  fine  flour, 
was  the  typical  minchah,  the  other  forms  being 
perhaps  the  offering  of  the  humbler  class.  It 
was  this  form  of  minchah  with  which  the  princes 
of  the  congregation  accompanied  their  costly 
gifts  at  the  dedication  of  the  tabernacle  (see  Num. 
1 :  13,  ai.).     This  uncooked  minchah  belonged  to 


all  the  priests  (7  :  lo),  who  were,  however,  to 
bake  it  without  leaven  and  to  eat  it  in  the  court 
of  the  tabernacle  (6 :  i6,  it)  ;  the  cakes  and  wafers 
which  were  offered  went  to  the  particular  priest 
who  ofiiciated  {"^  ■^). 

In  its  meaning  the  minchah  differed  from  the 
burnt  offering  in  that  it  was  a  present  instead  of 
the  symbolical  offering  of  the  life.  As  a  reason 
why  the  offered  cakes  should  be  broken  in 
pieces  and  anointed  so  as  to  make  a  tempting 
display,  as  a  host  would  set  food  before  a  guest, 
it  is  said,  "It  is  a  minchah,"  i.  e.,  a  present, 
such  as  that  with  which  one  propitiates  a 
superior.  At  the  same  time  it  is  more  than  a 
mere  present ;  there  is  the  idea  of  consecration 
to  God  in  it.  The  reason  why  the  memorial  of 
it  is  to  be  burned  on  the  altar  is,  that  it  is  a  fire 
offering,  an  odor  of  satisfaction  unto  Jehovah 
(ver.  2,  9).  "  As  the  bumt  offering  represented 
the  consecration  of  the  life,  the  person,  to  God, 
so  the  meal  offering  represented  the  consecration 
of  the  fruit  of  his  labors."  This  consecration  was 
made  vivid  by  the  ascent  of  the  azkarah  or  me- 
morial in  smoke,  and  so  prominent  an  element  in 
worship  was  this  offered  sample  of  the  gift  that 
even  in  New  Testament  times  the  memorial 
was  a  familiar  emblem,  in  religious  feeling,  of 
acceptability  in  the  divine  presence  (^cts  io:4). 

Minute  study  of  the  text  of  this  section  has  not 
failed  to  notice  the  peculiar  employment  of  the 
style  of  direct  address  abruptly  beginning  with 
the  fourth  verse  and  continuing  through  the 
chapter.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  account  for 
this ;  but  not  unreasonable  is  the  note  of  Driver 


24 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  III. 


11  No  meat  offering,  which  ye  shall  bring  unto 
the  Lord,  shall  be  made  with  leaven  :  for  ye  shall 
burn  no  leaven,  nor  any  honey,  in  any  offering  of 
the  Lord  made  by  fire. 

12  As  for  the  oblation  of  the  firstfruits,  ye  shall 
offer  them  unto  the  Lord :  but  they  shall  not  be 
burnt  on  the  altar  for  a  sweet  savour. 

13  And  every  oblation  of  thy  meat  offering  shalt 
thou  season  with  salt ;  neither  shalt  thou  suffer  the 
salt  of  the  covenant  of  thy  God  to  be  lacking  from 
thy  meat  offering :  with  all  thine  offerings  thou 
slialt  offer  salt. 

14  And  if  thou  offer  a  meat  offering  of  thy  first- 
fruits  unto  the  Lord,  thou  shalt  offer  for  the  meat 
offering  of  thy  firstfruits  green  ears  of  corn  dried 
by  the  lire,  even  corn  beaten  out  of  full  ears. 

15  And  thou  shalt  put  oil  upon  it,  and  lay  frank- 
incense thereon :  it  is  a  meat  offering. 

16  And  the  priest  shall  burn  the  memorial  of  it, 
part  of  the  beaten  corn  thereof,  and  part  of  the  oil 
thereof,  with  all  the  frankincense  thereof :  it  is  an 
offering  made  by  tire  unto  the  Lord. 


11  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire.  No  meal  offer- 
ing, which  ye  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord,  shall  be 
made  with  leaven  :  for  ye  shall  burn  no  leaven, 
nor  any  honey,  as  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto 

12  the  Lord.  As  an  oblation  of  tir&tfruits  ye  shall 
offer  them  unto  the  Lord :   but  they  shall  not 

13  come  up  for  a  sweet  savour  on  the  altar.  And 
every  oblation  of  thy  meal  offering  shalt  thou 
season  with  salt ;  neither  shalt  thou  suffer  the 
salt  of  the  covenant  of  thy  God  to  be  lacking 
from  thy  meal  offering  :  with  all  thine  oblations 
thou  shalt  offer  salt. 

14  And  if  thou  offer  a  meal  offering  of  firstfruits 
unto  the  Lord,  thou  shalt  offer  for  the  meal  offer- 
ing of  thy  firstfruits  corn  in  the  ear  parched  with 

15  fire,  bruised  corn  of  the  fresh  ear.  And  thou 
shalt  put   oil    upon  it,  and    lay  frankincense 

16  thereon :  it  is  a  meal  offering.  And  the  priest 
shall  burn  the  memorial  of  it,  part  of  the  bruised 
corn  thereof,  and  part  of  the  oil  thereof,  with  all 
the  frankincense  thereof :  it  is  an  offering  made 
by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER    III. 


1  AND  if  his  oblation  be  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ing, if  he  offer  it  of  the  herd  ;  whether  it  be  a  male 
or  female,  he  shall  offer  it  without  blemish  before 
the  Lord. 

2  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  his 
offering,  and  kill  it  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation :  and  Aaron's  sons  the  priests 
shall  sprinkle  the  blood  upon  the  altar  round  about. 


AND  if  his  oblation  be  a  sacrifice  of  peace  of- 
ferings ;  if  he  offer  of  the  herd,  whether  male  or 
female,  he  shall  offer  it  without  blemish  before 
the  Lord.  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the 
head  of  his  oblation,  and  kill  it  at  the  door  of 
the  tent  of  meeting  :  and  Aaron's  sons  the  priests 
shall  sprinkle  the  blood  upon  the  altar  round 


who  says :  "  The  second  person  in  2 : 4-16,  unlike 
the  rest  of  these  chapters,  is  noticeable,  and  may 
be  an  indication  that  the  chapter  is  formed  out  of 
a  combination  of  elements  originally  distinct." 

11-13.  Regulations  of  the  minchah.  Two 
general  regulations  of  much  importance  in  re- 
gard to  the  minchah  are  here  made :  the  in- 
terdiction of  leaven  and  honey  from  the  fire 
offerings  of  Jehovah,  and  the  invariable  re- 
quirement of  salt.     Leaven  is  often  spoken  of  as 

a  symbol  of  corruption    (Matt,   le  :  6  ;   Mark   8  :  15  ;   1 

Cor.  5  : 7, 8),  and  this  association  with  corruption 
may  be  the  basis  of  the  interdiction.  Why 
honey  was  to  be  kept  from  the  fire  oflerings  of 
Jehovah  we  can  only  conjecture.  It  may  be 
because  of  its  tending  to  promote  fermentation 
and  decay  in  that  with  which  it  is  mixed. 

Both  of  these  substances,  however,  might  be 
offered  as  first-fruits  (see  r.  v.  of  ver.  12),  but  they 
were  not  to  be  burned  as  a  part  of  the  fire 
offering  for  an  odor  of  satisfaction. 

As  for  the  salt,  this  was  to  accompany  not 
only  the  minchah,  but  animal  offerings  as  well. 
Though  not  often  mentioned  in  the  legislation 
of  the  Pentateuch,  salt  was  considered  of  great 
importance  (Ezek.  43 :  24 :  Mark  9  :  49, 5o).  It  was 
perhaps  an  ingredient  of  the  incense  (see  Exod.  so : 
35,  R.  v.),  and  according  to  the  LXX  of  24  : 
7  was  placed  along  with  the  frankincense  on  the 
.shewbread  which  was  the  great  public  minchah. 
Its  significance  as  a  sacrificial  symbol  appears 
in  the  expression,  the  salt  of  the  covenant 
of  thy  God;  salt  being  mutually  partaken  of 


by  contracting  parties  as  a  seal  of  a  covenant 
because  the  partaking  of  one's  salt  laid  upon  the 
host,  under  Oriental  laws  of  hospitality,  the  ob- 
ligation to  keep  faith  with  his  guest  (cf.  Num.  is  : 
19 ;  2  chron.  13  :  5).  This  allusiou  to  Salt  indicates 
that  there  was  another  idea  underlying  the 
minchah,  and  indeed  all  the  offerings,  which 
has  not  been  so  clearly  brought  out  before, 
namely,  that  in  ofiering  sacrifices  the  worshiper 
incurred  obligations  like  those  of  hospitality, 
and  entered  into  a  covenant  with  God  intended 
to  be  inviolable. 

14-16.  The  minchah  of  first-fruits  was  not 
the  same  as  the  dedicatory  offering  of  the  first- 
fruits  at  the  beginning  of  harvest.  The  lat- 
ter if  made  into  loaves  might  be  baked  with 
leaven ;  and  whether  in  loaf  or  sheaf,  no  part 
of  it  was  ofiered  on  the  altar  ( 23 :  10, 11,  n,  20) ,  This 
minchah,  on  the  contrary,  like  the  minchah  of 
fine  flour,  was  to  be  arranged  in  a  manner  sugges- 
tive of  a  meal  set  before  a  guest,  and  the  memorial 
of  it  was  to  be  burned,  the  remainder  being  most 
sacred  to  the  use  of  the  priest.  It  was  to  be  of 
fresh  ears  of  choicest  cultivated  corn  roasted  and 
bruised  into  coarse  grits.  This  was  to  be  ac- 
companied by  oil  and  frankincense ;  and  the 
"memorial"  of  the  grain  and  oil,  Avith  all  the 
frankincense,  was  burned  as  a  fire  offering,  an 
odor  of  satisfaction  unto  Jehovah. 


Chap.  3.  1-5.  Tlie  peace,  offering.  The 
peace  offering  was  the  expression  of  thankful- 
ness and  joy,  and  was  in  its  meaning  essentially 


Ch.  III.] 


LEVITICUS 


25 


3  And  he  shall  offer  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  peace 
offering  an  offering  made  by  tire  unto  the  Lord  ; 
the  fat  that  covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat 
that  is  upon  the  inwards, 

4  And  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  on 
them,  which  is  by  the  flanks,  and  the  caul  above 
the  liver,  vs^ith  the  kidneys,  it  shall  he  take  away. 

5  And  Aaron's  sons  shall  burn  it  on  the  altar 
upon  the  burnt  sacrifice,  which  is  upon  the  wood 
that  is  on  the  fire  :  it  is  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of 
a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

6  And  if  his  offering  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ing unto  the  Lord  be  of  the  flock  ;  male  or  female, 
he  shall  offer  it  without  blemish. 

7  If  he  offer  a  lamb  for  his  offering,  then  shall  he 
offer  it  before  the  Lord. 

8  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  his 
offering,  and  kill  it  before  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  :  and  Aaron's  sons  shall  sprinkle  the 
blood  thereof  round  about  upon  the  altar. 

9  And  he  shall  offer  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  peace 
offering  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  ; 
the  fat  thereof,  and  the  whole  rump,  it  shall  he 
take  off  hard  by  the  backbone ;  and  the  fat  that 
covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is  upon 
the  inwards, 

10  And  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  upon 
them,  which  is  by  the  flanks,  and  the  caul  above 
the  liver,  with  the  kidneys,  it  shall  he  take  away. 


3  about.  And  he  shall  offer  of  the  sacrifice  of 
peace  offerings  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord  ;  the  fat  that  covereth  the  inwards,  and  all 

4  the  fat  that  is  upon  the  inwards,  and  the  two 
kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  on  them,  which  is  by 
the  loins,  and  the  caul  upon  the  liver,  with  the 

5  kidneys,  shall  he  take  away.  And  Aaron's  sons 
shall  burn  it  on  the  altar  upon  the  burnt  offer- 
ing, which  is  upon  the  wood  that  is  on  the  fire : 
it  is  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour 
unto  the  Lord. 

6  And  if  his  oblation  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  of- 
ferings unto  the  Lord  be  of  the  flock ;  male  or 

7  female,  he  shall  offer  it  without  blemish.  If  he 
offer  a  lamb  for  his  oblation,  then  shall  he  offer 

8  it  before  the  Lord :  and  he  shall  lay  his  hand 
upon  the  head  of  his  oblation,  and  kill  it  before 
the  tent  of  meeting :  and  Aaron's  sons  shall 
sprinkle  the  blood  thereof  upon  the  altar  round 

9  about.  And  he  shall  offer  of  the  sacrifice  of 
peace  offerings  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord  ;  the  fat  thereof,  the  fat  tail  entire,  he  shall 
take  it  away  hard  by  the  backbone  ;  and  the  fat 
that  covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is 

10  upon  the  inwards,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and  the 
fat  that  is  upon  them,  which  is  by  the  loins,  and 
the  caul  upon  the  liver,  with  the  kidneys,  shall 


a  feasting  with  Jehovah.  It  was  the  only  sacri- 
fice of  which  the  people  were  permitted  to  eat 
the  flesh.  Peace  offerings  and  simple  feasting 
often  came  to  be  practically  synonymous  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  so  that  the  religious  cere- 
mony could  be  participated  in  without  any  great 
withdrawing  from  the  ordinary  carelessness  of 
life  or  any  great  solemnity  of  religious  feeling. 
The  strange  woman  in  Proverbs  (7  :  i4)  even 
proposes  to  make  her  waiting  peace  offerings 
the  occasion  of  a  dissolute  orgy.  The  intention, 
however,  was  to  give  a  religious  character  to 
social  festivities  by  associating  them  with  the 
completeness  of  the  divine  reconciliation.  The 
peace  offering  was  usually  the  crowning  or  final 
act  in  a  series  of  sacrifices  in  which  burnt  offer- 
ings or  sin  offerings  first  secured  that  reconcilia- 
tion of  the  soul  with  God.  The  offering  might 
be  either  of  a  male  or  a  female  animal,  provided 
only  that  it  was  perfect,  and  was  to  be  either  from 
the  herd  or  a  sheep  or  goat  from  the  flock. 

The  preliminary  steps,  the  laying  of  the  hand 
on  the  head  of  the  victim,  the  killing  of  it  at  the 
door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  the  sprinkling  of  the 
blood  by  the  priests,  were  the  same  as  in  the  case 
of  the  burnt  offering.  But  for  the  fire  offering 
unto  Jehovah  use  was  made  only  of  the  suet 
in  the  interior  of  the  animal  and  the  kidneys. 
This  internal  fat  was  reserved  for  Jehovah,  the 
same  as  the  blood,  and  was  never  to  be  eaten  (see 
ver.  16, 17).  The  formula  descriptive  of  this  Lord's 
portion  is  several  times  repeated  and  makes  four 
specifications:  (1)  The  fat  that  covereth 
the  inAvards  (ver.  9),  ^.  e.,  the  large  net  of 
fatty  tissue  which  stretches  from  the  stomach 
or  paunch  over  the  bowels  and  completely  en- 


velops the  latter.  (2)  All  the  fat  that  is  upon 
the  inwards 9  entrails,  i.  e.,  the  fat  attached 
to  the  intestines,  which  could  easily  be  peeled 
off.  (3)  The  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat 
that  is  upon  them,  which  is  by  the  loins 
(ver.  10) J  i,  e.,  upon  the  inner  muscles  of  the 
loins  or  in  the  region  of  the  kidneys.  (4)  The 
caul,  lit,,  excess,  upon  the  liver,  i,  e.,  the 
fat  made  visible  on  the  removal  of  the  lesser 
omentum,  which  commences  at  the  division  be- 
tweeen  the  right  and  left  lobes  of  the  liver  and 
stretches  on  the  one  side  across  the  stomach  and 
on  the  other  to  the  region  of  the  kidneys.  Hence 
the  clause.  Upon  .  .  •  the  kidneys,  i.  e.,  by 
them,  as  far  as  it  reaches,  shall  he  take  away. 

The  latter  clause  of  ver.  4  is  unintelligible  in 
the  Authorized  version  as  it  is  also  in  the  Re- 
vised version  unless  we  remove  the  comma  after 
"  kidneys."  It  means  that  the  priest  shall  take 
away  the  liver-net  on  or  by  the  kidneys  in  re- 
moving it  from  the  animal.  The  Polychrome 
version  translates,  "  Which  mass  he  shall  remove 
as  far  as  the  kidneys," 

"  The  four  portions  mentioned  comprehended 
all  the  separable  fat  in  the  inside  of  the  sacri- 
ficial animal,"  It  is  to  be  burned  upon  the  burnt 
offering  which  is  on  the  wood  which  is  on  the 
fire.  This  seems  to  indicate  that  the  peace  of- 
fering is  a  secondary  sacrifice  which  is  hardly 
complete  without  a  burnt  offering  preceding. 

6-11.  The  ritual  for  the  offering  of  a  sheep 
is  the  same  as  that  for  the  offering  of  cattle  with 
the  addition  that,  besides  the  portions  of  fat 
mentioned  in  the  first  case,  the  fat  tail,  A.  V., 
rump  (ver.  9),  is  to  be  burned  entire.  This  is 
a  broad  excrescence  from  which  the  true  tail 


26 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  IV. 


11  And  the  priest  shall  burn  it  upon  the  altar :  it 
is  the  food  of  the  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord. 

12  And  if  his  offering  be  a  goat,  then  he  shall  offer 
it  before  the  Lord. 

13  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  it, 
and  kill  it  before  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion :  and  the  sons  of  Aaron  shall  sprinkle  the 
blood  thereof  upon  the  altar  round  about. 

14  And  he  shall  offer  thereof  his  offering,  even  an 
offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  ;  the  fat  that 
covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is  upon 
the  inwards, 

15  And  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  upon 
them,  which  is  by  the  flanks,  and  the  caul  above 
the  liver,  with  the  kidneys,  it  shall  he  take  away. 

16  And  the  priest  shall  burn  them  upon  the  altar  : 
it  is  the  food  of  the  offering  made  by  lire  for  a  sweet 
savour  :  all  the  fat  is  the  Lord's. 

17  It  shall  be  a  perpetual  statute  for  your  genera- 
tions throughout  all  your  dwellings,  that  ye  eat 
neither  fat  nor  blood. 


11  he  take  away.  And  the  priest  shall  burn  it  upon 
the  altar :  it  is  the  food  of  the  offering  made  by 
fire  unto  the  Lord. 

12  And  if  his  oblation  be  a  goat,  then  he  shall 

13  offer  it  before  the  Lord  :  and  he  shall  lay  his  hand 
upon  the  head  of  it,  and  kill  it  before  the  tent 
of  meeting :  and  the  sous  of  Aaron  shall  sprinkle 
the  blood  thereof  upon  the  altar  round  about. 

14  And  he  shall  offer  thereof  his  oblation,  even  an 
offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  ;  the  fat  that 
covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is  upon 

15  the  inwards,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat 
that  is  upon  them,  which  is  by  the  loins,  and  the 
caul  upon  the  liver,  with  the  kidneys,  shall  he 

16  take  away.  And  the  priest  shall  burn  them  upon 
the  altar :  it  is  the  food  of  the  offering  made  by 
fire,  for  a  sweet  savour :  all  the  fat  is  the  Lord's. 

17  It  shall  be  a  perpetual  statute  throughout  your 
generations  in  all  your  dwellings,  that  ye  shall 
eat  neither  fat  nor  blood. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  |     l     AND   the   Lord   spake  unto   Moses,  saying, 


hangs  down,  sometimes  weighing  as  much  as 
fifteen  pounds,  and  often  seen  upon  the  sheep  at 
this  day  in  Syria.  It  consists  of  a  substance 
between  marrow^  and  fat. 

In  ver.  11  the  fat  that  is  burned  is  called  the 
bread  of  fire  offering  to  Jehovah,  i.  e.,  food  that 
reaches  Jehovah  by  being  burned  or,  as  it  were, 
etherealized. 

12-17,  In  the  case  of  a  goat  the  ritual  is  the 
same  as  with  oxen  or  sheep.  A  significant  ad- 
dition is  made  in  ver.  16  that  all  the  fat  is  the 
bread  of  fire  offering  to  Jehovah  for  an  odor  of 
satisfaction.  This  designation  of  the  ofiered  fat 
as  the  bread  or  food  of  Jehovah,  here  and  in 
ver.  11,  points  to  the  fact  already  stated  that  tlie 
sacrifice  was  essentially  a  feast  in  which  a  hos- 
pitable union  was  established  between  the  offerer 
and  Jehovah.  Schultz  makes  the  peace  offer- 
ing, as  the  one  sacrifice  in  which  the  people 
partook  of  the  victim,  the  original  and  funda- 
mental means  of  communion  with  Deity.  "  Sac- 
rifice, according  to  its  most  significant  phe- 
nomenon, is  a  sacrificial  meal  at  which  the 
worshipers  rejoice  around  the  table  of  their 
God"  ("Journal  of  Theology,"  Vol.  IV.,  p. 
266).  These  naive  notions  of  God's  partaking 
of  food,  smelling  a  sweet  savor,  are  notions 
which  in  their  natural  sense  were  perhaps  al- 
ready outgrown  when  the  Levitical  law  was 
codified,  the  terms  being  continued  in  use  as  an 
inheritance  from  the  remote  past. 

The  last  verse  of  the  chapter  is  what  is  called 
an  "  ordinance  of  eternity,"  or  a  perpetual  and 
universal  statute  intended  to  regulate  not  simply 
the  sacrifices  but  the  habits  of  private  life 
("  throughout  all  your  dwellings  ")  that  neither 
fat  nor  blood  is  to  be  eaten.  This  precept  re- 
garding blood  is  elsewhere  given  as  dating  from 


the  time  of  Noah  (Gen.  9:4),  and  both  fat  and 
blood  are  repeatedly  prohibited  as  articles  of 
food  in  the  Pentateuch  (see  7  :  23, 26 ;  it  :  lO,  14  ; 
Deut.  12 :  16).  The  fat  forbidden  did  not  include 
all  kinds  of  fat,  but  simply  this  internal  suet, 
called  ^'^n,  chelebh,  which  was  reserved  for 
the  fire  offerings  of  Jehovah.  Other  fat,  called 
JDIJ^P,  mlshmdn,  might  be  eaten  (see  Neh.  s  :  lo), 
Jehovah  perhaps  reserved  to  himself  the  fat  as 
the  chief  part,  the  very  blossom,  as  it  were,  of 
the  animal's  flesh. 


Chap.  4.  1,  2.  The  sin  offering.  It  is  to 
be  observed  that  with  the  introduction  of  the  sin 
offering  a  fresh  start  is  made,  as  it  were,  in  the 
Mosaic  legislation.  1,  This  is  indicated  by  the 
repetition  of  the  formula,  And  the  Liord. 
spake  unto  Moses.  The  legislation  assumes 
a  slightly  different  tone.  In  the  case  of  the 
burnt  offering  and  minchah  and  peace  offering 
it  was  simply  regulative  in  its  form :  "  If  any  of 
you  bring  an  offering"  (i  :  2),  "If  his  offering 
be  a  burnt  oflering  of  the  herd  "  (1  =  3),  "  of  the 
flock"  (1  :  10),  or  "  of  fowls"  (1  :  u),  etc.,  let  it 
be  offered  in  a  certain  way.  But  now  certain 
cases  of  unintentional  sin  are  specified,  and  the 
offering  is  prescribed  or  required.  It  is  no  longer 
a  voluntary  or  optional  thing;  it  is  rendered 
necessary  by  the  sin  committed. 

The  sin  for  which  a  sin  offering  is  prescribed 
is  called  sin  in  error,  by  which  is  meant  mainly 
sins  occasioned  by  ignorance,  though  as  Keil 
supposes  the  term  may  include  "  all  such  sins  as 
spring  from  the  weakness  of  flesh  and  blood,  as 
distinguished  from  sins  committed  with  a  high 
(elevated)  hand,  or  in  haughty,  defiant  rebel- 
lion against  God  and  his  commandments."  The 
Hebrew  conception  of  sin  brought  it  into  closer 


Ch.  IV.] 


LEVITICUS 


27 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  If  a 
soul  shall  sin  through  ignorance  against  any  of  the 
commandments  of  the  Lord  concerning  things  which 
ought  not  to  be  done,  and  shall  do  against  any  of 
them  : 

3  If  the  priest  that  is  anointed  do  sin  according 
to  the  sin  of  the  people  ;  then  let  him  bring  lor  his 
sin,  which  he  hath  sinned,  a  young  bullock  with- 
out blemish  unto  the  Lord  for  a  sin  offering. 

4  And  he  shall  bring  the  bullock  unto  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before  the  Lord  ; 
and  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  bullock's  head,  and 
kill  the  bullock  before  the  Lord. 

5  And  the  priest  that  is  anointed  shall  take  of  the 
bullock's  blood,  and  bring  it  to  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation : 

6  And  the  priest  shall  dip  his  finger  in  the  blood, 
and  sprinkle  of  the  blood  seven  times  before  the 
Lord,  before  the  vail  of  the  sanctuary. 

7  And  the  priest  shall  put  some  of  the  blood  upon 
the  horns  of  the  altar  of  sweet  incense  before  the 
Lord,  which  is  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion ;  and  shall  pour  all  the  blood  of  the  bullock  at 
the  bottom  of  the  altar  of  the  burnt  offering,  which 
is  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

8  And  he  shall  take  off  from  it  all  the  fat  of  the 
bullock  for  the  sin  offering  ;  the  fat  tliat  coveretli 
the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is  upon  the  inwards, 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  If  any 
one  shall  sin  unwittingly,  in  any  of  the  tilings 
which  the  Lord  hath  commanded  not  to  be  done, 

3  and  shall  do  any  one  of  them :  if  the  anointed 
priest  shall  sin  so  as  to  bring  guilt  on  the  people  ; 
then  let  him  offer  for  his  sin,  which  he  hath 
sinned,  a  young  bullock  without  blemish  unto 

4  the  Lord  for  a  sin  offering.  And  he  shall  bring 
the  bullock  unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting 
before  the  Lord  ;  and  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon 
the  head  of  the  bullock,  and  kill  the  bullock 

5  before  the  Lord.  And  the  anointed  priest  shall 
take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock,  and  bring  it  to 

6  the  tent  of  meeting:  and  the  priest  shall  dip  his 
hnger  in  the  blood,  and  sprinkle  of  the  blood 
seven  times  before  the  Lord,  before  the  veil  of 

7  the  sanctuary.  And  the  priest  shall  put  of  the 
blood  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar  of  sweet  in- 
cense before  the  Lord,  which  is  in  the  tent  of 
meeting  ;  and  all  the  blood  of  the  bullock  shall 
he  pour  out  at  the  base  of  the  altar  of  burnt  of- 
fering, which  is  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 

8  ing.  And  all  the  fat  of  the  bullock  of  the  sin 
offering  he  shall  take  off  from  it;  the  fat  that 
covereth  the  inwards,  and  all  the  fat  that  is 


and  more  mechanical  relation  to  positive  pre- 
cepts than  our  more  ethical  and  spiritual  thought 
of  it  does.  The  natural  intuition  of  right  by 
which  all  may  be  condemned  was  less  taken 
account  of.  2.  The  sin  is  described  as  against 
any  of  the  commandments  of  the  Lord 
concerning  things  which  ought  not  to  be 
done.  The  congregation,  or  a  ruler,  or  one  of 
the  common  people  might  sin  and  not  know  of  it 
until  informed  (see  ver.  u,  23, 28),  the  information 
undoubtedly  consisting  in  the  disclosure  of  the 
provisions  of  the  law  as  applying  to  the  case. 
The  priest,  on  the  other  hand,  is  presumed  to 
know  the  law,  and  his  inadvertent  sin  is  thought 
of  as  something  which  brings  guilt  upon  the 
people,  no  doubt  through  carelessly  leaving  them 
ignorant  of  regulations  by  the  transgression  of 
which  they  have  incurred  guilt.  All  this  gives 
far  greater  scope  for  mere  ignorance  as  the  occa- 
sion of  sin,  and  less  for  w^eakness  of  flesh  and 
blood,  than  our  more  intuitional  and  personal 
conception  of  the  relation  of  the  individual  to 
God.  As  for  "  sin  with  a  high  hand,"  the  abbre- 
viated ritual  of  the  sin  offering  in  Numbers 
prescribes  especially  that  it  is  beyond  the  scope 
of  atoning  sacrifice  (Num.  15  :  so,  31).  The  dis- 
tinction between  the  two  kinds  of  sin  is  recog- 
nized in  Ps.  19  :  12,  13 ;  Heb.  10  :  26,  27. 

Four  cases  of  unintentional  sin  are  specified  : 
that  committed  by  (1)  the  anointed  priest,  i.  e., 
the  chief  priest;  (2)  the  whole  people;  (3)  a 
ruler;  and  (4)  an  ordinary  Israelite.  The  grada- 
tion appears  to  be  made  according  to  the  the- 
ocratic rank  of  the  sinner. 

3-12,   Sin  of   the    anointed  priest.      The 
priest   that    is  anointed   means  the  high 


priest,  so  called  on  account  of  the  completeness 
of  his  anointing  at  the  time  of  his  consecration. 
The  anointing  of  the  common  priests  also  is 
commanded  (Exod.  28:  41 ;  40  :  15),  and  implied 
(7 :  36 ;  10  : 7),  but  the  high  priest  was  the  one  in 
whose  case  that  ceremony  was  especially  sig- 
nificant. Do  sin  according  to  the  sin  of 
the  people,  rather,  so  as  to  bring  guilt  on  the 
people,  as  in  E,.  V.  In  his  influential  position 
as  a  representative  of  the  law  of  God,  even  an 
inadvertence  on  his  part  might  be  extensively 
harmful. 

The  preliminary  steps  in  the  offering  of  this 
bullock  for  the  sin  offering  Avere  the  same  as  in 
the  case  of  the  burnt  offering.  The  principal 
difference  was  in  the  disposal  of  the  blood.  In 
this  sin  offering  the  blood  was  to  be  solemnly 
sprinkled  seven  times  before  the  veil  of  the 
sanctuary,  perhaps  in  token  of  the  reinstate- 
ment of  the  endangered  covenant  with  Jehovah, 
and  also  to  be  smeared  on  the  horns  of  the  altar 
of  incense.  In  this  chapter  alone  in  Leviticus 
is  the  altar  of  incense  mentioned.  The  seven-fold 
sprinkling  was  also  prescribed  in  the  case  of  the 
sin  of  the  whole  congregation,  and  also  in  the 
solemn  expiatory  sacrifices  of  the  great  Daj^  of 
Atonement  (chap.  le).  It  has  been  noted  by  some 
that  this  sprinkling  in  the  Holy  Place  is  an 
addition  to  the  sin  offering  as  described  in  Exod. 
29  :  12  and  Lev.  8  :  15  ;  9:9,  and  it  is  suggested 
that  this  chapter  may  represent  a  more  advanced 
stage  in  the  growth  of  the  sacrificial  system. 
"It  appears  doubtful,"  says  Driver,  "whether 
the  author  of  the  last-named  chapters  (viz.,  chap. 
8,  9)  can  have  been  familiar  with  the  ritual  of 

chap.  4"  (see  however  on  8  ;  14-17). 


28 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  IV. 


9  And  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  upon 
them,  which  is  by  the  flanks,  and  the  caul  above 
the  liver,  with  the  kidneys,  it  shall  he  take  away, 

10  As  it  was  taken  off  from  the  bullock  of  the 
sacritice  of  peace  offerings :  and  the  priest  shall 
burn  them  upon  the  altar  of  the  burnt  offering. 

11  And  the  skin  of  the  bullock,  and  all  his  flesh, 
with  his  head,  and  with  his  legs,  and  his  inwards, 
and  his  dung, 

12  Even  the  whole  bullock  shall  he  carry  forth 
without  the  camp  unto  a  clean  place,  where  the 
ashes  are  poured  out,  and  burn  him  on  the  wood 
with  fire:  where  the  ashes  are  poured  out  shall  he 
be  burnt. 

13  And  if  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel  sin 
through  ignorance,  and  the  thuig  be  hid  from  tlie 
eyes  of  the  assembly,  and  they  have  done  somewhat 
against  any  of  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  co?i- 
cerning  things  which  should  not  be  done,  and  are 
guilty  ; 

14  When  the  sin,  which  they  have  sinned  against 
it,  is  known,  then  the  congregation  shall  oft'er  a 
young  bullock  for  the  sin,  and  bring  him  before 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

15  And  the  elders  of  the  congregation  shall  lay 
their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  bullock  before 
the  Lord :  and  the  bullock  shall  be  killed  before 
the  Lord. 

16  And  the  priest  that  is  anointed  shall  bring  of 
the  bullock's  blood  to  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation : 

17  And  the  priest  shall  dip  his  finger  in  some  of 
the  blood,  and  sprinkle  it  seven  times  before  the 
Lord,  even  before  the  vail. 

18  And  he  shall  put  some  of  the  blood  upon  the 
horns  of  the  altar  which  is  before  the  Lord,  tliat  is 
in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  shall 
pour  out  all  the  blood  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar  of 
the  burnt  oft'ering,  which  is  at  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation. 

19  And  he  shall  take  all  his  fat  from  him,  and 
burn  it  upon  the  altar. 

20  And  he  shall  do  with  the  bullock  as  he  did 
with  the  bullock  for  a  sin  offering,  so  shall  he  do 
with  this :  and  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement 
for  them,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  them. 

21  And  he  shall  carry  forth  the  bullock  without 
the  camp,  and  burn  him  as  he  burned  the  first  bul- 
lock :  it  is  a  sin  offering  for  the  congregation. 


The  rest  of  the  blood,  as  not  saerificially  sig- 
nificant, was  to  be  poured  out  at  the  base  of  the 
altar  of  burnt  offering.  The  internal  fat  was 
removed  as  in  the  case  of  the  peace  offering  and 
burned  upon  the  altar,  while  the  skin  and  head, 
and  in  short  all  the  animal  with  its  refuse,  was 
burned  in  a  clean  place  without  the  camp  in  the 
place  where  the  ashes  were  poured  out.  The 
author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  finds  in 
this  burning  without  the  camp  a  suggestive 
coincidence  in  connection  with  the  fact  that 
Jesus  suffered   outside  the  gate   of  Jerusalem 

(Heb.  13  :  11-13). 

13-21.  Sin  of  the  congregation,  13.  Sin 
through  ignorance,  lit.,  err.  And  they 
have  done  somewhat,  etc.  This  is  much 
more  simply  and  directly  translated  in  the 
E..  V.  It  was  in  connection  with  such  a  sin  as 
that  described  here  that  Saul  erected  his  first 
altar  (i  Sam.  14  :  31-35).  The  sacrifice  mentioned 
in  that  place,  however,  seems  to  be  more  in  the 
nature  of  a  peace  offering,  as  the  people  were 


9  upon  the  inwards,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and  the 
fat  tliat  is  upon  them,  which  is  by  the  loins,  and 
the  caul  upon  the  liver,  with  tlie  kidneys,  shall 

10  he  take  away,  as  it  is  taken  off  from  the  ox  of 
the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings :  and  the  priest 
shall  burn  them  upon  the  altar  of  burnt  offer- 

11  iug.  And  the  skin  of  the  bullock,  and  all  its 
flesh,  with  its  head,  and  with  its  legs,  and  its  in- 

12  wards,  and  its  dung,  even  the  whole  bullock 
shall  he  carry  forth  without  the  camp  unto  a 
clean  place,  where  the  ashes  are  poured  out,  and 
burn  it  on  wood  with  Are :  where  the  ashes  are 
poured  out  shall  it  be  burnt. 

13  And  if  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel  shall 
err,  and  the  thing  be  hid  from  the  eyes  of  the 
assembly,  and  they  have  done  any  of  the  things 
which  tlie  Lord  hath  commanded  not  to  be  done, 

14  and  are  guilty  ;  when  the  sin  wherein  they  have 
sinned  i,i  known,  then  the  assembly  shall  offer  a 
young  bullock  for  a  sin  offering,  and  bring  it 

15  before  the  tent  of  meeting.  And  the  elders  of 
the  congitgation  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the 
head  of  the  bullock  before  the  Lord :  and  the 

16  bullock  shall  be  killed  before  the  Lord.  And 
the  anointed  priest  shall  bring  of  the  blood  of 

17  the  bullock  to  the  tent  of  meeting :  and  the  priest 
shall  dip  his  finger  in  the  blood,  and  sprinkle  it 
seven  times  Lefore  the  Lord,  before  the  veil. 

IS  And  he  shall  ]  ut  of  the  blood  upon  the  horns  of 
the  altar  which  is  before  the  Lord,  that  is  in  the 
tent  of  meeting,  and  all  the  blood  shall  he  pour 
out  at  the  base  of  the  altar  of  burnt  oft'ering, 
which  is  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting. 

19  And  all  the  fat  thereof  shall  he  take  off  from  it, 

20  and  burn  it  upon  the  altar.  Thus  shall  he  do 
with  the  bullock  ;  as  he  did  with  the  bullock  of 
the  sin  offering,  so  shall  he  do  with  this  :  and  the 
priest  shall  make  atonement  for  them,  and  they 

21  shall  be  forgiven.  And  he  shall  carry  forth  the 
bullock  without  the  camp,  and  burn  it  as  he 
burned  the  first  bullock :  it  is  the  sin  offering  for 
the  assembly. 


directed  to  eat,  and  to  be  prescribed  more  as  an 
example  of  how  cattle  ought  to  be  slaughtered 
and  eaten  than  as  a  means  of  propitiation  for 
sin  committed. 

The  ritual  in  the  case  of  a  sin  of  the  whole 
congregation  is  the  same  as  that  for  the  sin  of 
the  anointed  priest,  except  that  here  the  elders 
of  the  congregation  lay  their  hands  on  the  head 
of  the  victim.  20.  The  formula.  The  priest 
shall  make  an  atonement  .  •  .  and  it 
shall  be  forgiven,  recurs  with  all  the  sin 
ofierings  except  that  for  the  high  priest.  In 
his  case,  being  the  party  seeking  reconciliation, 
it  would  be  obviously  impossible  for  him  to  pro- 
nounce his  own  absolution,  nor  did  the  law 
provide  any  one  of  higher  thcocratical  rank  who 
could  make  the  atonement  for  him.  He  was  the 
one  in  all  Israel  who  must  approach  Jehovah 
directly,  even  for  himself,  and  find  his  pardon 
in  his  own  consciousness. 

The  idea  which  lay  at  the  root  of  the  Hebrew 
ceremony  of  atonement  was  the  idea  of  covering. 


Ch.  IV.] 


LEVITICUS 


29 


22  When  a  ruler  hath  sinned,  and  done  someivhat 
through  ignorance  agdinut  any  of  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord  his  God  cuitcerning  things  whicli 
sliould  not  be  done,  and  is  guilty  ; 

23  Or  if  his  sin,  wherein  he  hath  sinned,  come  to 
his  knowledge  ;  lie  shall  bring  his  oft'ering,  a  kid  of 
the  goats,  a  male  without  blemish  : 

24  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of 
the  goat,  and  kill  it  in  the  place  where  they  kill  the 
burnt  offering  before  the  Lord  :  it  is  a  sin  oft'ering. 

25  And  the  priest  shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the 
sin  offering  with  his  finger,  and  put  it  upon  the 
horns  of  the  altar  of  burnt  offering,  and  shall  pour 
out  his  blood  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar  of  burnt 
offering. 

26  And  he  shall  burn  all  his  fat  upon  the  altar, 
as  the  fat  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings :  and 
the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  him  as  con- 
cerning his  sin,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him. 

27  And  if  any  one  of  the  common  people  sin 
through  ignorance,  wiiile  he  doeth  somewhat  against 
any  of  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  concerning 
things  which  ought  not  to  be  done,  and  be  guilty  ; 

28  Or  if  his  sin,  which  he  hath  sinned,  come  to 
his  knowledge  :  then  he  shall  bring  his  offering,  a 
kid  of  the  goats,  a  female  without  blemish,  for  his 
sin  which  he  hath  sinned. 

29  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of 
the  sin  offering,  and  slay  the  sin  offering  in  the 
place  of  the  burnt  offering. 

80  And  the  priest  shall  take  of  the  blood  thereof 
with  his  finger,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the 
altar  of  burnt  offering,  and  shall  pour  out  all  the 
blood  thereof  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar. 

31  And  he  shall  take  away  all  the  fat  thereof,  as 
the  fat  is  taken  away  from  off  the  sacrifice  of  peace 
offerings  ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  it  upon  the  altar 
for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  the  priest 
shall  make  an  atonement  for  him,  and  it  shall  be 
forgiven  him. 

32  And  if  he  bring  a  lamb  for  a  sin  offering,  he 
shall  bring  it  a  female  without  blemish. 

33  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the  head  of 
the  sin  offering,  and  slay  it  for  a  sin  offering  in  the 
place  where  they  kill  the  burnt  offering. 

34  And  the  priest  shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the 
sin  oft'ering  with  his  finger,  and  put  it  upon  the 
horns  of  the  altar  of  burnt  offering,  and  shall  pour 
out  all  the  blood  thereof  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar : 

35  And  he  sliall  take  away  all  the  fat  thereof,  as 
the  fat  of  the  lamb  is  taken  away  from  the  sacrifice 
of  the  peace  offerings ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn 
them  upon  the  altar,  according  to  the  offerings  made 


22  When  a  ruler  sinneth,  and  doeth  unwittingly 
any  one  of  all  the  things  which  the  Lord  his  God 
hath  commanded  not  to  be  done,  and  is  guilty  ; 

23  if  ills  sin,  wherein  lie  hath  sinned,  be  made 
known  to  him,  he  shall  bring  for  his  oblation  a 

24  goat,  a  male  without  blemish  ;  and  he  shall  lay 
his  hand  upon  the  head  of  the  goat,  and  kill  it 
in  the  place  where  they  kill  the  burnt  offering 

25  befi)re  the  Lord :  it  is  a  sin  offering.  And  the 
}/riest  shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the  sin  offering 
with  his  ftnger,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the 
altar  of  burnt  offering,  and  the  blood  thereof 
shall  he  pour  out  at  the  base  of  the  altar  of  burnt 

26  offering.  And  all  the  fat  thereof  shall  he  burn 
upon  the  altar,  as  the  fat  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace 
offerings  :  and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement 
for  him  as  concerning  his  sin,  and  he  shall  be 
forgiven. 

27  And  if  any  one  of  the  common  people  sin  un- 
wittingly, in  doing  any  of  the  things  which  the 
Lord  liath  commanded  not  to  be  done,  and  be 

28  guilty  ;  if  his  sin,  which  he  hath  sinned,  be  made 
known  to  him,  then  he  shall  bring  for  his  obla- 
tion a  goat,  a  female  without  blemish,  for  his 

29  sin  which  he  hath  sinned.  And  he  shall  lay  his 
hand  upon  the  head  of  the  sin  offering,  and  kill 
the  sin  offering  in  the  place  of  burnt  offering. 

30  And  the  priest  shall  take  of  the  blood  thereof 
with  his  finger,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the 
altar  of  burnt  oft'ering,  and  all  the  blood  thereof 

31  shall  he  pour  out  at  the  base  of  the  altar.  And 
all  the  fat  thereof  shall  he  take  away,  as  the  fat 
is  taken  away  from  off  the  sacrifice  of  peace  of- 
ferings ;  and  the  priest  shall  burn  it  upon  the 
altar  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  the 
priest  shall  make  atonement  for  him,  and  he 
shall  be  forgiven. 

32  And  if  he  bring  a  lamb  as  his  oblation  for  a 
sin  offering,  he  shall  bring  it  a  female  without 

33  blemish.  And  he  shall  lay  his  hand  upon  the 
head  of  the  sin  offering,  and  kill  it  for  a  sin  of- 
fering in  the  place  where  they  kill  the  burnt 

34  offering.  And  the  priest  shall  take  of  the  blood 
of  the  sin  offering  with  his  finger,  and  put  it 
upon  the  horns  of  the  altar  of  burnt  offering, 
and  all  the  blood  thereof  shall  he  pour  out  at 

35  the  base  of  the  altar :  and  all  the  fat  thereof 
shall  he  take  away,  as  the  fat  of  the  lamb  is 
taken  away  from  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings ; 
and  the  priest  shall  burn  them  on  the  altar, 
upon  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire: 


The  blood  placed  on  the  thing  to  be  purified,  or 
sprinkled  as  a  veil  between  the  sinner  and  the 
Holy  Place,  was  thought  of  as  "covering"  the 
sin,  or  expressing  the  fact  that  God  no  longer 
cared  to  look  at  or  make  account  of  it. 

22-26.  Sin  of  a  ruler.  22.  The  ruler  is 
the  head  of  a  tribe  or  of  a  division  of  a  tribe 
( xum.  3 :  24, 30, 35) .  The  ritual  for  the  ruler  differs 
from  tliat  for  the  high  priest  and  for  the  whole 
congregation  in  several  particulars.  23.  The 
victim  is  not  a  bullock  but  a  shaggy  one  of 
the  goats,  not  kid  of  the  goats,  i.  e.,  an 
old,  hairy  he-goat.  There  is  no  mention  of 
sprinkling  the  blood  seven  times  before  the 
veil,  and  the  blood  is  put  upon  the  horns  of  the 
altar  of  burnt  offering  instead  of  the  altar  of 
incense.  It  is  to  be  observed,  morever,  that 
nothing  is  said  in  this  or  the  following  ea.se 
about  burning  the  flesh  and  skin  of  the  animal 
without  the  camp.      From  the  prohibition  in 


6  :  30  we  may  infer  that  sin  offerings  of  this 
kind,  whose  blood  was  not  brought  into  the  holy 
place,  might  be  eaten  by  the  priests,  and  from 
the  incident  related  in  10 :  lG-20  we  sliould  infer 
that  this  was  expected  of  the  priests.  The 
shaggy  goat  is  mentioned  as  the  animal  sacri- 
ficed as  the  sin  offering  for  the  princes  of  the 
tribes  (Num.  7),  for  the  nation  at  the  yearly  festi- 
vals   (16:9,15;   23:19;   Num.   28:15,  etc.),   aud    at    the 

consecration  of  the  priests  (9: 3,  15). 

27-35.  Sill  of  the  common  people.  Tlie 
literal  designation  for  one  of  the  common 
people  is  one  of  the  people  of  the  land.  His  sin 
offering  was  to  be  either  (1)  a  shaggy  female  of 
the  goats  (ver.  28)  or  (2)  a  ewe  sheep  (ver.  32). 
The  ritual  in  both  cases  was  the  same  as  with 
the  he-goat  for  the  ruler.  In  ver.  35  it  is  said 
that  the  priest  shall  burn  them  "upon  the  fire 
offerings  of  Jehovah,^'  not  according  to,  as 
in  the  text  (see  R.  V). 


80 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  IV. 


by  fire  luito  tlie  Lord  :  and  the  priest  shall  make  an 
atonement  for  his  sin  that  he  hath  committed,  and 
it  shall  be  forgiven  him. 


and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement  for  him  as 
touching  his  sin  that  he  hath  sinned,  and  he 
shall  be  forgiven. 


There  is  a  somewhat  abbreviated  ritual  of  the 
sin  ofiering  both  for  the  people  and  for  individ- 
uals in  Num.  15 :  22-31.  There  was  also  pi-ovided 
a  water  of  separation,  in  which  the  virtues  of 
the  sin  offering  were,  as  it  were,  stored  up  for 
use  in  cases  of  defilement  by  the  dead  (Num.  19). 
This  constant  bringing  of  sin  to  account  by- 
means  of  prescribed  offerings  surrounded  the 
people  as  a  whole  with  a  religion  in  which  the 
thought  of  sin  and  of  the  need  of  reconciliation 
with  God  was  a  very  important  factor. 

As  to  the  significance  of  the  sin  offering  it 
can  hardly  be  supposed  that  it  bore  for  the  peo- 
ple any  such  developed  meaning  as  Christian 
thought,  not  to  say  ingenuity,  has  sometimes 
injected  into  it  in  connection  with  the  death  of 
Christ.  As  we  look  back  upon  these  Old  Testa- 
ment types  we  see  them  irradiated  and  glorified 
by  the  halo  of  Christian  history  and  feeling 
through  which  we  behold  them  and  which  has 
been  so  inspiring  to  us.  But  in  order  to  esti- 
mate these  foreshadowing  institutions  aright  as 
revelations  of  God's  truth — preparations  for 
Christ — we  need  to  consider  what  they  were  to 
the  people  of  their  own  time  for  whom  this  in- 
spiring history  did  not  exist.  Only  the  broadest 
and  simplest  religious  feeling  can  be  supposed 
to  have  been  awakened  or  attempted  in  those 
early  ordinances. 

In  the  first  place,  with  what  we  call  sin  and 
guilt  in  the  proper  sense  neither  sin  nor  guilt 
offering  had  anything  to  do.  "For  the  entire 
sphere  of  the  inner  life  there  exists  no  sacrifice. 
.  .  .  Only  'if  anyone  sins  through  error '  is  there 
a  sacrifice  for  sins  unconsciously  and  unintention- 
ally committed  through  human  weakness  and 
short-sightedness,  where  evil  will — the  actual 
center  of  sin — is  missing."  The  victim  can 
therefore  hardly  have  been  regarded  as  suffer- 
ing death  as  a  punishment  for  the  offerer's  sin, 
since  the  mere  sins  of  error  for  which  alone  an 
offering  was  admissible  were  not  death-worthy 
sins.  Nor  does  it  seem  probable  that  the  flesh 
of  a  constructive  criminal — for  such  would  be  a 
victim  suffering  capital  punishment — should  be 
regarded  as  most  holy  (6:  29).  The  sprinkling 
of  the  blood  rather  than  the  requirement  of*  a 
vicarious  death  seems  to  have  occasioned  the 
necessity  for  a  slain  sacrifice,  and  even  this  was 
not  so  essential  but  that  in  some  cases  a  blood- 
less minchah  might  be  accepted  as  a  sin  offering 
(5  :  11).  The  laying  of  the  hands  on  the  victim's 
head  was  an  accepting  of  the  animal  as  one's 


offering  and,  as  in  all  kinds  of  sacrifice  and  con- 
secrations, a  setting  of  it  apart  for  purposes  of 
cult,  but  not  necessarily,  any  more  than  in  the 
case  of  the  burnt  offering,  a  symbolical  transfer 
of  guilt.  It  is  true  this  idea  of  transference  of 
sin  to  a  representative — not,  however,  with  any 
notion  of  making  the  representative  guilty — 
was  acted  upon  in  the  ceremony  of  placing  the^ 
people's  sins  on  the  ^wegoat  that  he  might  carry 
them  away  to  Azazel  on  the  great  Day  of  Atone- 
ment (16  :2i,  22).  Not  unfamiliar  with  Hebrew 
thought,  moreover,  was  the  notion  of  one  per- 
son's suffering  for  another's  sin  (Exod.  32 :  32 ;  isa. 
53 :  4)^  and  in  the  fifty- third  chapter  of  Isaiah 
the  vicarious  suffering  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah 
is  suggestively  associated  with  the  'asham,  or 
guilt  offering,  which,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  next 
chapter,  is  only  one  variety  of  sin  offering : 
"  When  his  soul  offers  a  guilt  offering,  he  shall 
see  seed,  he  shall  prolong  days,  and  the  pleasure 
of  Jehovah  shall  prosper  in  his  hand"  (isa.  53:io). 
This  idea  of  vicarious  atonement,  however, 
seems  to  have  been  the  very  highest  flower  of 
Old  Testament  thought,  peculiar  to  the  great 
evangelical  prophet,  and  hardly  understood  even 
in  New  Testament  times.  It  seems  hardly  pos- 
sible that  the  common  sin  off'ering  should  have 
intentionally  been  so  framed  as  to  portray  the 
transfer  of  mere  sins  of  error  to  a  victim  in  such 
a  way  as  to  make  it  guilty  of  death.  Such  was 
the  form  of  the  ceremony,  however,  that  when 
taken  up  into  the  luxuriant  environment  of  a 
more  developed  future  the  notion  of  vicarious 
guilt  and  suffering  would  associate  itself  with 
the  sin  offering  as  a  not  unnatural  graft  on  such 
a  stock. 

Sin  and  the  divine  holiness  were  both  ideas 
which  had  to  be  touched  and  developed  by  the 
idealism  of  the  prophets  before  they  resembled 
the  highly  ethical  notions  which  we  inherit  from 
centuries  of  Christian  thought.  The  former  was 
almost  indistinguishably  blended  with  ceremo- 
nial uncleanness,  while  the  latter  was  at  first 
thought  of  as  like  some  awful  electrical  quality 
by  which  the  unclean  or  unprepared  person 
would  be  struck  dead  on  coming  into  the  Divine 
presence.  In  the  sin  offering,  as  in  all  animal 
sacrifices,  the  blood,  as  the  sacramental  means 
of  uniting  God  in  covenant  with  his  people,  be- 
came the  medium  for  purifying  or  preparing 
the  person  for  the  presence  of  Jehovah.  "The 
blood  is  the  life.  Blood  must  be  withheld  from 
all  profane  use  and  can  only  subserve  sacred 


Ch.  v.] 


LEVITICUS 


31 


CHAPTER    V. 


1  AND  if  a  soul  sin,  and  hear  the  voice  of  swear- 
ing, and  is  a  witness,  whether  he  hath  seen  or 
known  of  it;  if  he  do  not  utter  it,  then  he  shall 
bear  his  iniquity. 

2  Or  if  a  soul  touch  any  unclean  thing,  whether 
it  be  a  carcase  of  an  unclean  beast,  or  a  carcase  of 
unclean  cattle,  or  the  carcase  of  unclean  creeping 
things,  and  if  it  be  hidden  from  him  ;  he  also  shall 
be  unclean,  and  guilty. 

3  Or  if  he  touch  the  uneleanness  of  man,  what- 
soever uncleanness  it  be  that  a  man  shall  be  defiled 
withal,  and  it  be  hid  from  him  ;  when  he  knoweth 
of  it,  then  he  shall  be  guilty. 


1  AND  if  any  one  sin,  in  that  he  heareth  the 
voice  of  adjuration,  he  being  a  witness,  whether 
he  hath  seen  or  known,  if  he  do  not  utter  it,  then 

2  he  shall  bear  liis  iniquity  :  or  if  any  one  touch 
any  unclean  tiling,  whether  it  be  the  carcase  of 
an  unclean  beast,  or  the  carcase  of  unclean  cat- 
tle, or  the  carcase  of  unclean  creeping  things, 
and  it  be  hidden  from  him,  and  he  be  unclean, 

3  then  he  shall  be  guilty :  or  if  he  touch  the  un- 
cleanness of  man,  whatsoever  his  uncleanness 
be  wherewith  he  is  unclean,  and  it  be  hid  from 
him ;  when  he  knoweth  of  it,  then  he  shall  be 


purposes  of  cult.  In  accordance  with  divine 
decree,  blood  shall  *  cover '  man  that  God  may 
not  view  his  uncleanness."  The  simple  mean- 
ing attaching  to  the  whole  oflfering  may  be 
summed  up  in  the  words  of  Schultz  ("Ameri- 
can Journal  of  Theology,"  Vol.  IV.,  p.  309) : 
"Sin  offering  is  a  purificatory  rite  (Lev.  12:8). 
The  entire  sacrifice  consists  in  what  at  other 
offerings  is  only  the  preparatory  part,  namely, 
the  *  covering.'  And  it  is  this  in  a  particularly 
intensive  manner,  since  a  defilement  of  physico- 
ethical  nature  is  to  be  abolished,  besides  the 
general  human  uncleanness.  The  entire  sacri- 
ficial course,  including  the  eating  of  the  sacrifi- 
cial flesh  by  the  priest  (10  :  le  f.)  and  the  render- 
ing of  the  sacrificial  cake  (5  :ii)  is  purifying. 
Hence  the  real  ground  of  purification  is  that 
God  accepts  the  sacrifice  and  thereby  enters  into 
communion  with  the  sinner,  granting  him  actual 
pardon,  and  that  man  in  this  offering,  enjoined 
by  God  as  the  embodied  prayer  of  a  penitent, 
expresses  his  confession,  his  regret,  his  petition 
for  forgiveness.'* 

The  sin  offering  became  typical  of  the  death 
of  Christ,  not  by  embodying  and  teaching  all 
the  details  of  doctrine  which  later  ethical  needs 
attached  to  that  death,  but  by  introducing  the 
sinner  to  that  simple  all-regenerative  feeling 
which  constitutes  the  state  of  grace  in  all  ages 
of  the  world,  the  feeling  of  sin  confessed  and 
accounted  for,  the  feeling  of  divine  forgiveness 
possible  and  actual,  and  of  restored  communion 
with  Him  who  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold 
iniquity. 

"  The  importance  which  the  sin  offering  as- 
sumed among  the  Israelites  is  closely  connected 
with  the  increasingly  ethical  character  of  the 
ideas  associated  with  Jehovah's  *  holiness.'  " 


Chap.  5.  1-13.  Unintentional  sin.  Exam- 
ples are  here  given  of  unintentional  sins  requir- 
ing a  sin  offering,  but  sufficiently  venial  to 
admit  of  a  graduation  of  the  expense  accord- 
ing to  the  ability  of  the  offerer.  This  passage 
is  of  the  nature  of  an  appendix  to  chap.  4,  and 


specifies  some  sins  of  omission  or  rashness  on 
the  part  of  the  common  Israelite  which  might 
easily  be  passed  over  as  too  venial  for  notice, 
and  yet  which  in  God's  estimation  need  to  be 
brought  under  the  discipline  of  sacrifice  in  order 
that  men  may  be  trained  to  notice  and  avoid 
them.  The  first  is  the  sin  of  keeping  silent 
when  one  has  knowledge  of  important  facts 
which  may  clear  up  the  truth  in  some  case  at 
law.  He  hears  the  voice  of  adjuration — the 
judge  charging  any  that  have  knowledge  in  the 
ease  to  make  it  known — but  he  does  not  declare 
what  he  knows.  Of  such  a  person  it  is  said 
that  he  shall  bear  his  iniquity,  that  is  to 
say,  he  incurs  guilt  by  his  negligence,  and  this 
needs  to  be  expiated  by  a  sin  offering.  This  is 
purely  a  case  of  civil  transgression  and  bears  no 
specific  relation  to  "  any  of  the  commandments 
of  the  Lord  concerning  things  which  ought  not 
to  be  done,"  like  the  cases  in  chap.  4.  More 
particularly  than  the  two  following  cases,  which 
have  a  more  obvious  relation  to  religious  purity 
or  faithfulness,  this  kind  of  transgression  needs 
to  be  defined  as  a  case  of  ecclesiastical  guilt, 
if  it  is  to  be  brought  under  the  discipline  of  the 
sin  offering  at  all. 

The  second  sin  mentioned  is  the  uninten- 
tional contact  Avith  a  dead  animal  or  with  the 
uncleanness  of  men.  It  is  mentioned  here,  as 
it  were,  only  in  passing,  and  simply  in  order  to 
specify  when  it  became  a  case  requiring  and  ad- 
mitting of  a  sin  offering.  It  required  a  sin  of- 
fering, i.  e.,  involved  guilt  as  distinguished  from 
mere  uncleanness,  when  it  had  been  allowed  to 
pass  unnoticed  until  brought  to  the  person's  at- 
tention. The  ordinary  discipline,  when  the  un- 
cleanness was  attended  to  at  the  time  it  occurred, 
was  simply  ablution  and  isolation  until  evening 
(see  u :  24-40) .  The  guilt  incurrcd  was  so  great  that 
a  sin  offering  was  no  longer  admissible  when 
the  person  in  his  uncleanness  presumed  to  eat 
of  the  peace  offering  (see  7 :  21).  This  matter  of 
uncleanness  and  purification  was  a  very  sig- 
nificant feature  in  Jewish  religious  practice, 
and  is  more  fully  treated  in  chap.  11-15. 


32 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  V. 


4  Or  if  a  soul  swear,  pronouncing  with  his  lips  to 
do  evil,  or  to  do  good,  whatsoever  it  be  that  a  man 
shall  pronounce  witli  an  oath,  and  it  be  liid  from 
him ;  when  he  knoweth  0/  it,  then  he  shall  be  guilty 
in  one  of  these. 

5  And  it  shall  be,  when  he  shall  be  guilty  in  one 
of  these  things,  that  he  shall  confess  that  he  hath 
sinned  in  that  thing : 

0  And  he  shall  bring  his  trespass  offering  unto 
the  Lord  for  his  sin  which  he  hath  sinned,  a  female 
from  the  flock,  a  lamb  or  a  kid  of  the  goats,  for  a 
sin  offering ;  and  the  priest  shall  make  an  atone- 
ment for  him  concerning  his  sin. 

7  And  if  he  be  not  able  to  bring  a  lamb,  then  he 
shall  bring  for  his  trespass,  which  he  hath  com- 
mitted, two  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons, 
unto  the  Lord  ;  one  for  a  sin  offering,  and  the  other 
for  a  burnt  offering. 

8  And  he  shall  bring  them  unto  the  priest,  who 
shall  offer  that  which  is  for  the  sin  offering  first,  and 
wring  off  his  head  from  his  neck,  but  shall  not 
divide  it  asunder : 

9  And  he  shall  sprinkle  of  the  blood  of  the  sin 
offering  upon  the  side  of  the  altar  ;  and  the  rest  of 
the  blood  shall  be  wrung  out  at  the  bottom  of  the 
altar :  it  is  a  sin  offering. 

10  And  he  shall  offer  the  second  for  a  burnt  of- 
fering, according  to  the  manner:  and  the  priest 
shall  make  an  atonement  for  him  for  his  sin  which 
he  hath  sinned,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him. 

11  But  if  he  be  not  able  to  bring  two  turtledoves, 
or  two  young  pigeons,  then  he  that  sinned  shall 


4  guilty :  or  if  any  one  swear  rashly  with  his  lips 
to  do  evil,  or  to  do  good,  whatsoever  it  be  that  a 
man  shall  utter  rashly  with  an  oath,  and  it  be 
hid  from  him ;  when  he  knoweth  of  it,  then  he 

5  shall  be  guilty  in  one  of  these  things:  and  it 
shall  be,  when  he  shall  be  guilty  in  one  of  these 
things,  that  he  shall  confess  that  wherein  he  hath 

6  sinned :  and  he  shall  bring  his  guilt  offering  unto 
the  Lord  for  his  sin  which  he  hath  sinned,  a 
female  from  the  flock,  a  lamb  or  a  goat,  for  a  sin 
offering ;  and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement 

7  for  him  as  concerning  his  sin.  And  if  his  means 
suffice  not  for  a  lamb,  then  he  shall  bring  his 
guilt  offering  for  that  wherein  he  hath  sinned, 
two  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons,  unto  the 
Lord  ;  one  for  a  sin  offering,  and  the  other  for  a 

8  burnt  offering.  And  he  shall  bring  them  unto 
the  priest,  who  shall  offer  that  which  is  for  the 
sin  offering  first,  and  wring  off  its  head  from  its 

9  neck,  but  shall  not  divide  it  asunder:  and  he 
shall  sprinkle  of  the  blood  of  the  sin  offering 
upon  the  sid€  of  the  altar ;  and  the  rest  of  the 
blood  shall  be  drained  out  at  the  base  of  the 

10  altar :  it  is  a  sin  offering.  And  he  shall  offer  the 
second  for  a  burnt  offering,  according  to  the  or- 
dinance: and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement 
for  him  as  concerning  his  sin  which  he  hath 
sinned,  and  he  shall  be  forgiven. 

11  But  if  his  means  suffice  not  for  two  turtledoves, 
or  two  young  pigeons,  then  he  shall  bring  his  ob- 
lation for  that  wherein  he  hath  sinned,  the  tenth 


The  third  case  is  that  of  rashness  in  making 
vows  or  sworn  promises :  4.  If  a  soul  swear, 
unto  babbling,  with  his  lips.  Of  course  it  is 
implied  that  the  oath  is  not  kept.  The  guilt  is 
in  the  rashness:  observe  the  R.  V.  in  ver.  4 
where  utter  rashly  is  the  term  used  instead  of 
pronounce  as  in  A.  V.  To  do  evil  does 
not  mean  to  do  moral  wrong,  but  to  do  a  thing 
which  is  not  to  one's  own  advantage.  The  same 
Hebrew  verb  is  used  in  Ps.  15  :  4,  where  the 
upright  person  is  described  as  "  He  that  sweareth 
to  Ms  oivn  hurt  and  change th  not."  It  is  al- 
lowed that  this  rash  swearing  may  be  hid  from 
the  person,  i.  e.,  that  from  an  over-sanguine  tem- 
perament or  from  negligence  in  reckoning  his 
resources,  he  may  overestimate  his  ability  to  per- 
form his  vow.  When  his  inability  to  keep  his 
promise  becomes  manifest,  he  is  not  thereby  ab- 
solved, but  is  in  a  state  of  guilt  for  his  rashness, 
which  requires  expiation  by  means  of  the  sin 
offering. 

The  sins  are  to  be  confessed  when  the  sin  offer- 
ing is  brought,  an  act  which  is  not  specifically 
mentioned  in  the  preceding  laws  of  the  sin  offer- 
ing. The  oblation  required,  unless  commuted 
on  account  of  poverty,  is  the  same  as  the  sin  offer- 
ing for  one  of  the  common  people,  namely,  a 
female  from  the  flock  i.  e.,  a  ewe  or  a  hairy 
female  of  the  goats.  In  verse  6  the  expression 
occurs  that  he  shall  bring  his  trespass,  or 
guilt,  offering  unto  the  Lord.  Notice,  how- 
ever, that  this  passage  goes  on  to  say  he  shall 
bring  it  for  a  sin  offering.  This  is  not  prop- 
erly the  guilt  offering,  despite  its  peculiar  fea- 


ture of  specific  confession,  inasmuch  as  it  lacks 
the  essential  mark  of  the  guilt  offering,  namely, 
restitution.  That  new  species  of  sacrifice  is  in- 
troduced in  its  order,  as  was  also  the  sin  offer- 
ing, by  the  formula,   "And  the  Lord  spake 

unto  Moses  "   (see  ver.  14). 

Up  to  this  point  there  has  been  no  hint  of 
commutation  in  the  sin  offering  on  account  of 
poverty.  While  the  whole  scheme  of  sin  offer- 
ings is  arranged  in  a  descending  scale,  begin- 
ning wnth  the  anointed  priest  and  including  in 
its  order  the  whole  congregation,  the  ruler,  the 
ordinary  layman,  the  poor,  the  very  poor,  the 
classification  in  the  fourth  chapter  seems  to  be 
according  to  the  theocratic  rank  of  the  offerer, 
while  in  regard  to  these  more  venial  sins  the 
sacrifices  prescribed  range  in  magnitude  accord- 
ing to  pecuniary  ability.  In  regard  to  these 
less  serious  sins,  so  important  is  it  that  some 
recognition  be  made  of  them  that  even  the 
humblest  transgressor  is  directed  to  make  some 
atonement.  7.  If  he  be  not  able  to  bring 
a  lamb,  lit.,  if  his  hand  reach  not  to  the  suffi- 
ciency of  a  lamb,  then  he  may  bring  two  turtle- 
doves or  two  young  pigeons,  one  for  a  sin  offering 
and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering.  The  priest 
is  to  offer  the  sin  offering  first,  pinching  or 
wringing  its  head  from  its  neck  without  divid- 
ing it  asunder,  and  sprinkling  a  small  portion 
of  the  blood  upon  the  side  of  the  altar,  while 
the  remainder  is  poured  out  at  the  base  of  the 
altar.  Afterward  the  bird  intended  for  the 
burnt  offering  is  offered  according  to  the  formula 
already  given.    If  the  offerer  is  yet  too  poor  to 


Ch.  v.] 


LEVITICUS 


33 


bring  for  his  offering  the  tenth  part  of  an  ephah  of 
fine  flour  for  a  sin  offering  ;  he  shall  put  no  oil  upon 
it,  neither  shall  he  put  any  frankincense  thereon  : 
for  it  is  a  sin  offering. 

12  Then  shall  he  bring  it  to  the  priest,  and  the 
priest  shall  take  his  handful  of  it,  even  a  memorial 
thereof,  and  burn  it  on  the  altar,  according  to  the 
offerings  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord :  it  is  a  sin 
offering. 

13  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for 
him  as  touching  his  sin  that  he  hath  sinned  in  one 
of  these,  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him :  and  tlte 
remnant  shall  be  the  priest's,  as  a  meat  offering. 

14  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

15  If  a  soul  commit  a  trespass,  and  sin  through 
ignorance,  in  the  holy  things  of  the  Lord  ;  then  he 
shall  bring  for  his  trespass  unto  the  Lord  a  ram 
without  blemish  out  of  the  flocks,  with  thy  estima- 
tion by  shekels  of  silver,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary,  for  a  trespass  offering : 

16  And  he  shall  make  amends  for  the  harm  that 
he  hath  done  in  the  holy  thing,  and  shall  add  the 
fifth  part  thereto,  and  give  it  unto  the  priest :  and 
the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  him  with 
the  ram  of  the  trespass  offering,  and  it  shall  be 
forgiven  him. 


part  of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour  for  a  sin  offering ; 
he  shall  put  no  oil  upon  it,  neither  shall  he  put 
any  frankincense  thereon  ;  for  it  is  a  sin  ofter- 

12  iug.  And  he  shall  bring  it  to  the  priest,  and  the 
priest  shall  take  his  handful  of  it  as  the  memo- 
rial thereof,  and  burn  it  on  the  altar,  upon  the 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire:  it  is  a  sin 

13  offering.  And  tiie  priest  shall  make  atonement 
for  him  as  touching  his  sin  that  he  hath  sinned 
in  any  of  these  things,  and  he  shall  be  forgiven  : 
and  tke  remnant  shall  be  the  priest's,  as  the  meal 
offering. 

14  And    the   Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

15  If  any  one  commit  a  trespass,  and  sin  unwit- 
tingly, in  the  holy  things  of  the  Lord  ;  then  he 
shall  bring  his  guilt  offering  unto  the  Lord,  a 
ram  without  blemish  out  of  the  flock,  according 
to  thy  estimation  in  silver  by  shekels,  after  tlie 

16  shekel  of  the  sanctuary,  for  a  guilt  offering :  and 
he  shall  make  restitution  for  that  which  he  hath 
done  amiss  in  the  holy  thing,  and  shall  add  the 
fifth  part  thereto,  and  give  it  unto  the  priest: 
and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement  for  him 
with  the  ram  of  the  guilt  offering,  and  he  shall 
be  forgiven. 


bring  the  two  turtle-doves  or  young  pigeons,  he 
is  to  bring  a  tenth  part  of  an  ephah,  about  five 
pints,  of  fine  flour  without  oil  or  frankincense  ; 
and  the  priest  is  to  burn  a  handful  for  a  memo- 
rial on  the  altar  and  keep  the  rest  as  a  minchah. 
In  each  case  the  priest  makes  an  atonement 
for  the  sin  and  the  person  is  assured  that  it  will 
be  forgiven. 

The  tendency  of  these  regulations  to  foster  in 
each  individual  the  feeling  of  responsibility  for 
the  just  disclosure  of  the  truth,  of  dread  of  defile- 
ment, and  of  caution  in  the  making  of  promises 
is  worth  pointing  out.  Indeed  this  whole  salu- 
tary, yet  merciful,  system  of  sin  and  guilt  offer- 
ings was  of  immense  value  as  a  discipline. 

I.  The  guilt  offering,  5  :  14  to  6  :  7. 
The  present  passage  is  occupied  with  the  cases  in 
which  the  guilt  ofiering  is  to  be  paid,  while  the 
ritual  of  the  guilt  offering  is  given  in  7  :  1-7. 
The  difference  between  the  ideas  underlying  the 
sin  offering  and  the  guilt  offering  appears  to  be 
that  "  as  the  idea  of  the  expiation  of  sin,  which 
was  embodied  in  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood, 
was  most  prominent  in  the  sin  offering,  so  the 
idea  of  satisfaction  for  the  restoration  of  rights 
that  had  been  violated  or  disturbed  came  into 
the  foreground  in  the  trespass  (or  guilt)  offer- 
ing "  (Keil).  The  following  particulars  may 
be  noted:  (1)  The  guilt  offering  was  required 
in  cases  involving  injury  to  some  one— it  miglit 
be  Jehovah  himself— in  regard  to  property.  (2) 
It  was  accompanied  by  a  fine  equal  to  the  value 
of  the  property  with  the  addition  of  a  fifth.  (3) 
the  blood  was  disposed  of  as  in  the  burnt  offer- 
ing instead  of  being  put  on  the  horns  of  the  al- 
tar (see  7  : 2).  (4)  The  victim  was  a  ram  instead 
of  a  female  sheep  or  goat.  (5)  There  was  no 
graduation  of  values  to  suit  rank  or  ability  of 


the  offerer.  "It  is  not  always  easy  to  distin- 
guish between  cases  where  a  guilt  offering  was 
given,  and  others  where  a  sin  offering  was  re- 
quired. Possibly  a  desire  to  cover  all  cases  of 
offense  against  the  holiness  of  Jehovah  led  to  an 
extension  of  both  offerings  to  cases  where  they 
would  not  originally  have  been  demanded  (cf. 
ver.  17-19,  and  19 :  20-22).  In  2  Kings  12 :  16  the  D^J<, 
'dshdm,  appears  as  a  pecuniary  fine ;  in  1  Sam.  6 
it  is  a  present  sent  back  by  the  Philistines  with 
the  ark  to  make  amends  for  the  desecration  done 
to  it ;  in  the  law  of  Num.  5 : 5-10,  the  term  'asham 
is  applied  to  the  property  restored  together  with 
the  fifth  part  added,  while  the  victim  is  called 
the  ram  of  atonement "  (Driver). 

14-16.  The  first  case  requiring  a  guilt  offer- 
ing is  where  the  person  commits  a  trespass — lit., 
treachery,  or  breach  of  trust — through  negli- 
gence, in  withholding  something  from  the  holy 
things  of  Jehovah.  This  vJ^D,  md'dl,  or  breach 
of  faith,  is  a  technical  term  in  the  priestly  law, 
and  refers  generally  to  acts  of  faithlessness 
toward  Jehovah.  The  holy  things  were  the  gifts, 
sacrifices,  first  fruits,  tithes,  etc.,  which  consti- 
tuted the  revenue  of  the  priests.  Such  unfaithful- 
ness Avas  an  actual  wronging  of  God  in  the  person 
of  his  priests,  and  was  to  be  made  right  by  the 
restoration  of  the  value  of  the  property  plus  one- 
fifth.  The  guilt  ofi'ering  was  a  ram  without 
blemish  Avhose  value  was  fixed  by  Moses  as  the 
magistrate,  thy  estimation  (ver.  15) ;  but  pos- 
sibly the  priest  (cf.  27 :  12),  the  estimation  being 
made  in  silver  by  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary,  i.  e.,  perhaps  the  exact  or  official 
shekel.  The  translator  in  the  Polychrome  Bible 
makes  this  employment  of  the  term  shekels  to 
indicate  a  minimum  value,  and  mean  "  two 
shekels  at  least." 


34 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  VL 


17  And  if  a  soul  sin,  and  ccMnmit  any  of  these 
things  which  are  forbidden  to  be  done  by  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  ;  tliougli  he  wist  it  not,  yet 
Is  he  guilty,  and  sliull  bear  liis  iniquity. 

18  And  he  shall  bring  a  ram  witliout  blemish  out 
of  the  Hock,  with  thy  estimation,  for  a  trespass  of- 
fering, unto  the  priest :  and  the  priest  sliall  make 
an  atonement  for  him  concerning  his  ignorance 
wherein  he  erred  and  wist  it  not,  and  it  shall  be 
forgiven  him. 

19  It  is  a  trespass  offering  :  he  hath  certainly  tres- 
passed against  the  Lord. 


17  And  if  any  one  sin,  and  do  any  of  the  things 
which  the  Lord  iiath  commanded  not  to  be  done  ; 
though  he  knew  it  not,  yet  is  he  guilty,  and  shall 

18  bear  his  iniquity.  And  he  shall  bring  a  ram 
without  blemish  out  of  the  flock,  according  to 
thy  estimation,  for  a  guilt  offering,  unto  the 
priest:  and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement  for 
him  concerning  the  thing  wherein  he  erred  un- 
wittingly and  knew  it  not,  and  he  shall  be  for- 

19  given.  It  is  a  guilt  offering:  he  is  certainly 
guilty  before  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  if  a  soul  sin,  and  commit  a  trespass  "against  the 
Lord,  and  lie  unto  his  neighbour  in  that  which  was 
delivered  him  to  keep,  or  in  fellowship,  or  in  a 
thing  taken  away  by  violence,  or  hath  deceived  his 
neighbour ; 

3  Or  have  found  that  which  was  lost,  and  lieth 
concerning  it,  and  sweareth  falsely  ;  in  any  of  all 
these  that  a  man  doeth,  sinning  therein  : 

4  Then  it  shall  be,  because  he  hath  sinned,  and 
is  guilty,  that  he  shall  restore  that  which  he  took 
violently  away,  or  the  thing  which  he  hath  deceit- 
fully gotten,  or  that  which  was  delivered  him  to 
keep,  or  the  lost  thing  which  he  found, 


1  AND   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  If  any  one  sin,  and  commit  a  trespass  against 
the  Lord,  and  deal  falsely  with  his  neighbour  in 
a  matter  of  deposit,  or  of  bargain,  or  of  robbery, 

3  or  have  oppressed  his  neighbour ;  or  have  found 
that  which  was  lost,  and  deal  falsely  therein, 
and  swear  to  a  lie ;  in  any  of  all  these  that  a 

4  man  doeth,  sinning  therein  :  then  it  shall  be,  if 
he  hath  sinned,  and  is  guilty,  that  he  shall  re- 
store that  which  he  took  by  robbery,  or  the  thing 
which  he  hath  gotten  by  oppression,  or  the  de- 
posit which  was  committed  to  him,  or  the  lost 


17-19.  These  verses  hardly  describe  a  distinct 
case  requiring  a  guilt  offering,  but  are  introduced 
in  order  to  note  with  special  emphasis  that  sins 
of  the  foregoing  order,  even  though  committed 
in  ignorance  of  Jehovah's  requirement,  incur 
guilt.  This  is  indicated  by  the  unique  double 
conditional  with  which  the  clause  is  introduced : 
17.  And  even  if  a  soul  sin,  etc. ;  lit,,  and  if 
a  soul  if.  The  sin  is  described  in  the  most 
general  terms — just  such  terms  indeed  as  are 
used  in  4  ;  27 — in  order  to  reserve  the  emphasis 
for  the  succeeding  statement,  which  is  the  only 
important  statement  in  the  paragraph,  viz.,  that 
though  the  person  transgressed  a  commandment 
and  wist,  knew,  it  not,  he  is  certainly  guilty, 
and  must  bring  the  ram  to  the  priest.  But  that 
it  is  a  guilt  offering  case,  and  so  different  from 
that  in  4  :  27,  is  taken  for  granted. 

The  first  seven  verses  of  chap.  6  in  our  English 
version  really  belong  to  this  section  on  the  guilt 
offering,  and  in  the  Hebrew  are  rightly  placed 
at  the  end  of  chap.  5.  The  English  division  of 
chapters  was  adopted  from  the  Septuagint. 


Chap.  6.  1-7.  The  offenses  described  in  de- 
tail in  this  section  really  constitute  the  second  or 
alternative  case  requiring  a  guilt  offering;  the 
first  (5 :  u-19)  being  treachery  or  breach  of  faith 
in  the  holy  things  of  Jehovah,  wliile  this  is  breach 
of  faith  against  Jehovah  exemplified  in  wrong- 
ing one's  neighbor.  The  identification  of  men's 
rights  with  Jehovah's  rights  is  to  be  noted.  The 
details  cited  as  examples  are:  false  dealing  in 
the  matter  of  a  deposit,  or  of  a  pledge,  or  of  ro))- 
bery,  or  if  one  has  oppressed  his  neighbor  or 
found  his  lost  property  and  deals  falsely  and 


swears  to  a  lie.  It  seems  as  if  these  acts  of  vio- 
lence and  treachery  were  passing  beyond  the 
limit  of  those  sins  of  error  and  short-sightedness 
for  which  the  system  of  sin  and  guilt  offerings 
was  provided,  and  were  approaching  perilously 
near  to  those  high-handed  offenses  for  which 
there  could  be  no  expiation.  In  estimating  the 
magnitude  of  these  offenses,  however,  something 
depends  on  our  view  of  the  relation  of  the  sin  to 
prevalent  habits  of  thought.  Men  graduate  the 
relative  enormity  of  sins  by  different  scales 
according  to  the  social  conditions  and  the  mental 
habits  in  which  they  have  been  brought  up. 
What  is  a  weakness,  a  yielding  to  overwhelming 
temptation,  in  one  epoch  or  state  of  society  seems 
like  the  most  deliberate  and  high-handed  under- 
mining of  the  very  foundations  of  order  in  an- 
other. With  modern  Occidental  people,  shaped 
in  their  mental  structure  by  the  long  education 
of  a  commercialism  the  very  foundation  of  whose 
large  operations  must  be  faith  between  men,  such 
crimes  as  treachery  and  violence  and  false  con- 
cealment of  another's  property  seem  so  deliberate 
and  determined  that  no  temptation  can  be  con- 
ceived of  strong  enough  to  excuse  them.  But  to 
the  Oriental,  not  so  schooled  to  the  importance 
of  the  commercial  virtues,  the  temptations  of 
avarice  are  more  violent,  and  concealment  and 
deceit  are  more  of  the  nature  of  weaknesses.  In 
the  book  of  Proverbs  the  invitation  of  the  disso- 
lute to  the  young  man  to  "  have  a  good  time  " — 
the  snare  by  which  the  feet  of  unwary  youth  are 
entangled — is  described  as  a  temptation,  not  to 
the  drowning  of  sorrow  in  the  flowing  bowl,  but 
to  a  life  of  freebootery  and  treacherous  violence 

(Prov.  1  :  10-16). 


Ch.  VI.] 


LEVITICUS 


35 


5  Or  all  that  about  which  he  hath  sworn  falsely  ; 
he  shall  even  restore  it  in  the  principal,  and  shall 
add  the  fifth  part  more  thereto,  and  give  it  unto 
him  to  whom  it  appertaineth,  in  the  day  of  his 
trespass  offering. 

6  And  he  shall  bring  his  trespass  offering  unto 
the  Lord,  a  ram  without  blemish  out  of  the  flock, 
with  thy  estimation,  for  a  trespass  offering,  unto 
the  priest: 

7  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for 
him  before  the  Lord  :  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him 
for  any  thing  of  all  that  he  hath  done  in  trespass- 
ing therein. 

8  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

y  Command  Aaron  and  his  sons,  saying,  This  is 
the  law  of  the  burnt  offering  :  It  is  the  burnt  offer- 
ing, because  of  the  burning  upon  the  altar  all  night 
unto  the  morning,  and  the  fire  of  the  altar  shall  be 
burning  in  it. 

10  And  the  priest  shall  put  on  his  linen  garment, 
and  his  linen  breeches  shall  lie  put  upon  his  flesh, 
and  take  up  the  ashes  which  the  fire  hath  con- 
sumed with  the  burnt  offering  on  the  altar,  and  he 
shall  put  them  beside  the  altar. 

11  And  he  shall  put  off  his  garments,  and  put  on 
other  garments,  and  carry  forth  the  ashes  without 
the  camp  unto  a  clean  place. 

12  And  the  fire  upon  the  altar  shall  be  burning 
in  it ;  it  shall  not  be  put  out:  and  the  priest  shall 
burn  wood  on  it  every  morning,  and  lay  the  burnt 
offering  in  order  upon  it ;  and  he  shall  burn  thereon 
the  fat  of  the  peace  offerings. 

13  The  fire  shall  ever  be  burning  upon  the  altar ; 
it  shall  never  go  out. 


5  thing  which  he  found,  or  any  thing  about  which 
he  hath  sworn  falsely  ;  he  shall  even  restore  it 
in  full,  and  shall  add'the  fifth  part  more  thereto  : 
unto  him  to  wliom  it  appertaineth  shall  he  give 

6  it,  in  the  day  of  his  being  found  guilty.  And  he 
shall  bring  his  guilt  offering  unto  the  Lord,  a 
ram  without  blemish  out  of  the  flock,  according 
to  thy  estimation,  for  a  guilt  oft'ering,  unto  tlie 

7  priest :  and  the  priest  shall  make  atonement  for 
him  before  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  be  forgiven  ; 
concerning  whatsoever  he  doeth  so  as  to  be 
guilty  thereby. 

8  And    the   Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

9  Command  Aaron  and  his  sons,  saying.  This  is 
the  law  of  the  burnt  offering:  the  burnt  offering 
shall  be  on  the  hearth  upon  the  altar  all  night 
unto  the  morning  ;  and  the  Are  of  the  altar  shall 

10  be  kept  burning  thereon.  And  the  priest  shall 
put  on  his  linen  garment,  and  his  linen  breeches 
shall  he  put  upon  his  flesh ;  and  he  shall  take 
up  the  ashes  whereto  the  fire  hath  consumed 
the  burnt  offering  on  the  altar,  and  he  shall  pnt 

11  them  beside  the  altar.  And  he  shall  put  off  his 
garments,  and  put  on  other  garments,  and  carry 
forth  the  ashes  without  the  camp  unto  a  clean 

12  place.  And  the  fire  upon  the  altar  shall  be  kept 
burning  thereon,  it  shall  not  go  out ;  and  the 
priest  shall  burn  wood  on  it  every  morning  :  and 
he  shall  lay  the  burnt  offering  in  order  upon  it, 
and  shall  burn  thereon  the  fat  of  the  peace  of- 

13  ferings.  Fire  shall  be  kept  burning  upon  the 
altar  continually ;  it  shall  not  go  out. 


The  offenses  here  described  are  all  matters  in 
which  the  extent  of  the  wrong  can  readily  be 
estimated ;  and  the  commandment  is  that  full 
restoration  of  property  shall  be  made  to  the  one 
to  whom  it  belongs  with  the  addition  of  the  fifth, 
and  tlien  the  ram  shall  be  ofiered  for  the  guilt 
offering  as  before.  In  Num.  5  :  5-10  it  is  pro- 
vided in  addition  that  in. case  the  person  to 
whom  restitution  is  due  be  dead  and  have  no 
next  of  kin  to  perform  the  part  of  Go'el  the  money 
shall  revert  to  the  sanctuary. 

II.   A    MANUAL    OF    PllIESTLY     DIRECTIONS, 

6  :  8  to  7.  The  regulations  of  this  section  are 
mostly  characterized  by  the  recurring  introduc- 
tion, "This  is  the  law  of,"  and  the  same  intro- 
duction is  used  when  the  laws  are  named  in  their 
order  in  the  subscription  at  the  end  (7 :  37). 

8-13.  1.  Regulations  to  he  observed  by  the 
priest  in  sacrificing  the  burnt  offering.  The  law 
of  the  burnt  offering  as  found  here  does  not  refer 
to  occasional  offerings  of  individuals,  as  in  1 :  2, 
3,  but  to  the  perpetual  burnt  offering,  which  was 
to  be  kept  lighted  continually  on  the  altar.  This 
perpetual  fire  was  the  visible  sign  of  the  uninter- 
rupted worship  of  Jehovah,  which  ideally  could 
not  be  suspended  without  unfaithfulness.  Other 
ancient  nations  also  kept  perpetual  fires  burning 
on  the  altars  of  their  principal  gods.  In  ver.  9, 
instead  of  because  of  the  burning,  the  trans- 
lation should  be,  on  the  hearth,  as  in  R.  V.  Both 
ver.  9  and  10  are  much  more  adequately  trans- 
lated in  the  Revised  version. 


Observe  that  the  priest  was  not  to  approach 
the  altar  except  in  his  sacred  garments  of  linen. 
Those  garments  are  described  and  this  same 
regulation  is  made  in  Exod.  28.  On  the  other 
hand  these  linen  garments  were  not  to  be  worn 
outside  of  the  sanctuary,  a  regulation  which  is 
also  made  by  Ezekiel  (44  :  19).  When  the  ashes 
were  once  removed  from  the  altar  they  could 
be  carried  away  by  the  priest  in  his  ordinary 
clothes. 

According  to  the  regulations  given  in  Exod. 
29  :  38-42;  Num.  28  :  3-8,  the  public  burnt 
offering  was  to  be  rendered  twice  a  day,  morn- 
ing and  evening.  In  the  time  of  Ahaz  the  order 
seems  to  have  been,  a  burnt  offering  in  the  morn- 
ing and  a  meal  offering  at  evening  (2  Kings  le :  15). 
Perhaps  the  regulation  in  Exodus  and  Numbers 
indicates  the  custom  which  obtained  at  the  time 
of  the  redaction  of  the  priest  code  when  a  second 
burnt  offering  had  been  introduced.  It  is  not 
known  when  the  change  was  made.  The  fire  of 
the  burnt  offering,  which  was  to  be  renewed 
with  wood  every  morning,  was  not  only  a  per- 
petual symbol  of  worship  before  Jehovah,  but  it 
was  the  constantly  ready  public  fire  on  which 
the  fat  of  peace  offerings  was  to  be  burnt,  as 
these  were  brought  and  offered  during  the  day. 
The  basis  of  private  worship  seems  to  have  been 
the  act  of  feasting  in  token  of  communion  with 
Jehovah,  and  for  this  act,  which  was  constantly 
recurring  with  new  worshiping  parties,  a  priest 
would  need  to  be  in  attendance  all  through  the 


36 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  VI. 


14  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  meat  offering :  the 
sons  of  Aaron  shall  offer  it  before  the  Lord,  before 
the  altar. 

15  And  he  shall  take  of  it  his  handful,  of  the 
flour  of  the  meat  offering,  and  of  the  oil  thereof, 
and  all  the  frankincense  which  is  upon  the  meat 
offering,  and  shall  burn  it  upon  the  altar /or  a  sweet 
savour,  even  the  memorial  of  it,  unto  the  Lord. 

16  And  the  remainder  thereof  shall  Aaron  and  his 
sons  eat:  with  unleavened  bread  shall  it  be  eaten 
in  the  holy  place  ;  in  the  court  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation  they  shall  eat  it. 

17  It  shall  not  be  baken  with  leaven.  I  have 
given  it  unto  them  for  their  portion  of  my  offerings 
made  by  fire  ;  it  is  most  holy,  as  is  the  siu  offering, 
and  as  the  trespass  offering. 

18  All  the  males  among  the  children  of  Aaron 
shall  eat  of  it.  It  shall  be  a  statute  for  ever  in  your 
generations  concerning  the  offerings  of  the  Lord 
made  by  fire :  every  one  that  toucheth  them  shall 
be  holy. 

19  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

20  This  is  the  offering  of  Aaron  and  of  his  sons, 
which  they  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord  in  the  day 
when  he  is  anointed  ;  the  tentli  part  of  an  ephah  of 
fine  flour  for  a  meat  offering  perpetual,  half  of  it  iu 
tlie  morning,  and  half  thereof  at  night. 


14  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  meal  offering:  the 
sons  of  Aaron  shall  offer  it  before  the  Lord,  be- 

15  fore  the  altar.  And  he  shall  take  up  therefrom 
his  handful,  of  the  fine  flour  of  the  meal  offer- 
ing, and  of  the  oil  thereof,  and  all  the  frankin- 
cense which  is  upon  the  meal  offering,  and  shall 
burn  it  upon  the  altar  for  a  sweet  savour,  as  the 

16  memorial  thereof,  unto  the  Lord.  And  that 
which  is  left  thereof  shall  Aaron  and  his  sons 
eat :  it  shall  be  eaten  without  leaven  in  a  holy 
place  ;  in  the  court  of  the  tent  of  meeting  they 

17  shall  eat  it.  It  shall  not  be  baken  with  leaven. 
I  have  given  it  as  their  portion  of  my  offerings 
made  by  fire  ;  it  is  most  holy,  as  the  sin  offering, 

18  and  as  the  guilt  offering.  Every  male  among 
the  children  of  Aaron  shall  eat  of  it,  as  a  due 
for  ever  throughout  your  generations,  from  the 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire :  whosoever 
toucheth  them  shall  be  holy. 

19  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

20  This  is  the  oblation  of  Aaron  and  of  his  sons, 
which  they  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord  in  the  day 
when  he  is  anointed  ;  the  tenth  part  of  an  ephah 
of  tine  flour  for  a  meal  offering  perpetually,  half 
of  it  in  the  morning,  and  half  thereof  in  the 


day.  Thus  the  routine  of  the  sanctuary  Avas 
what  corresponded  to  the  function  of  the  larger 
ritualistic  churches  in  Christendom,  namely,  a 
general  public  service  and  the  constant  oppor- 
tunity for  the  exercise  of  private  devotion. 

14-18.  2.  Regulations  to  he  observed  by  the 
priest  in  sacrificing  the  meal  offering.  This  reg- 
ulation is  applicable  to  all  the  minchas  or  meal 
offerings  which  individuals  might  bring  to  the 
sanctuary,  though  there  was  a  daily  public  offer- 
ing of  food  (Exod.  29 :  40,  41)  wliich  fumishcd  a  reg- 
ular supply  for  the  priests  on  duty.  The  l)urning 
of  the  memorial  is  the  same  for  all  viinchahs, 
whether  public  or  private,  as  in  2  :  2.  By  the 
regulation  as  to  eating  what  remains  after  the 
taking  out  of  the  memorial  handful  is  of  course 
not  meant  that  whenever  a  minchah  is  brought  in 
the  priests  shall  repair  to  the  court  of  the  taber- 
nacle and  eat  as  a  religious  ceremony,  but  sim- 
ply that  whatever  minchah  is  offered  goes  into 
the  stock  from  which  the  priests  when  on  duty 
at  the  sanctuary  shall  be  fed,  and  that  this  shall 
be  cooked  without  leaven  and  eaten  in  the  holy 
place.  This  was  most  sacredly  set  apart  for  the 
use  of  the  priests,  and  all  males  of  the  priestly 
family,  even  though  incapacitated  by  some 
physical  blemish  for  public  service,  might  par- 
take of  it  (21  :  22). 

So  sacred  was  this  food  considered  that  a  lay- 
man touching  it  became  "  holy  "  by  the  contact, 
so  that  he  had  to  guard  against  defilement  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  sanctified  priest  (21 :  i-s), 
though  without  sharing  in  the  priestly  rights 
and  prerogatives.  This  idea  of  holiness  is 
strangely  blended  with  that  of  uncleanness, 
which  no  doubt  formed  the  basis  of  the  Jewish 
notion  of  sin.     "That  is  holy  which,  has  entered 


into  so  close  a  union  with  the  Deity,  and  is  so 
permeated  by  his  majesty  that  it  may  no  longer 
serve  the  purposes  of  ordinary  life.  That  which 
divine  powers  have  touched  is  unto  the  uncon- 
secrated  person  fatal  and  terrible,  'as  if  charged 
with  electric  forces'  (W.  Robertson  Smith). 
Whosoever  touches  it  becomes  '  holy,'  i.  e.,  falls 
under  the  ban.  Whosoever  sees  God  must  die. 
W^hosoever  touches  his  holy  ark,  even  if  actu- 
ated by  good  and  benevolent  intentions,  is 
smitten  by  a  '  breaking  forth  of  God.'  There- 
fore David  is  afraid  to  receive  it  into  his  house. 
He  does  so  only  after  becoming  assured  that 
God's  will  directs  him  to  do  it,  and  then  accom- 
plishes its  entry  with  extreme  ritualistic  pre- 
caution   (2   Sam.   6  :4-18:    cf.    1    Sam.   6  :  3  f.)."      Both 

holiness  and  uncleanness  "disqualify  man  for 
participation  in  the  normal  social  life  and  sub- 
ject him  to  the  ban  in  case  of  oversight.  Thus 
there  is  naturally  a  frequent  transition  between 
both.  Whosoever  enters  into  contact  with  some- 
thing consecrated  becomes  holy.  But  at  the 
same  time  he  is  unclean  for  daily  life.  Legal- 
istic Judaism  of  the  very  latest  period  still  says 
that 'the  canonical  writings  defile  the  hands,' 
i.  e..  entail  washings  before  other  things  may  be 
touched,  while  scriptures  not  holy  do  not  have 
that  effect"  (Schultz). 

19-23.  3.  The  high  2>riesVs  daily  meal  of- 
fering. The  formula  introducing  this  oblation 
(ver.  20)  rcads  as  if  it  were  the  high  priest's 
consecration  offering,  but  it  is  evidently  the 
offering  which  began  to  be  rendered  by  each 
high  priest  on  the  completion  of  the  days  of 
his  consecration  and  continued  every  evening 
and  morning  during  his  term  of  office,  as  is  indi- 
cated by  Ecclus.  45  :  14.     It  was  not  offered  in 


Ch.  VII.] 


LEVITICUS 


37 


21  In  a  pan  it  shall  be  made  with  oil ;  and  when  it 
is  baken,  thou  shalt  bring  it  in  :  and  tlie  baken 
pieces  of  tlie  meat  offering  shalt  thou  otier  fur  a 
sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

22  And  the  priest  of  his  sons  that  is  anointed  in 
his  stead  shall  offer  it :  it  is  a  statute  for  ever  unto 
tlie  Lord  ;  it  sliall  be  wholly  burnt. 

23  For  every  meat  offering  for  the  priest  shall  be 
wholly  burnt:  it  shall  not  be  eaten. 

2i  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying. 

25  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons,  saying,  This 
is  the  law  of  the  sin  offering:  In  the  place  where 
tiie  burnt  offering  is  killed  shall  the  sin  ottering  be 
killed  before  the  Lord  :  it  is  most  holy. 

26  The  priest  that  offereth  it  for  sin  shall  eat  it : 
in  the  holy  place  shall  it  be  eaten,  in  the  court  of 
the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

27  Whats(jever  shall  touch  the  llesh  tiiereof  shall 
be  lioly  :  and  when  there  is  sprinkled  of  the  blood 
thereof  upon  any  garment,  thou  shalt  wash  that 
whereon  it  was  sprinkled  in  the  ho.y  place. 

28  But  the  earthen  vessel  wherein  it  is  sodden 
shall  be  broken:  and  if  it  be  sodden  in  a  brasen 
pot,  it  shall  be  both  scoured,  and  rinsed  in  water. 

29  All  the  males  among  the  priests  shall  eat 
thereof :  it  is  most  holy. 

30  And  no  sin  olfering,  whereof  any  of  the  blood 
is  brought  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation 
to  reconcile  withal  in  the  holy  place,  shall  be  eaten  : 
it  shall  be  burnt  in  the  lire. 


21  evening.  On  a  baking  pan  it  shall  be  made  with 
oil ;  when  it  is  soaked,  tliou  shalt  bring  it  in  :  in 
baken  pieces  shalt  th(ju  offer  tlie  meal  offering 

22  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord.  And  the 
anointed  priest  that  shall  be  in  liis  stead  from 
among  his  sons  shall  offer  it:  by  a  statute  for 
ever  it  shall  be  wholly  burnt  unto  the  Lord. 

23  And  every  meal  offering  of  the  priest  shall  be 
wholly  burnt:  it  sliall  not  be  eaten. 

24  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

25  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons,  saying,  Tliis 
is  tlie  law  of  the  sin  offering  :  in  the  place  where 
the  burnt  offering  is  killed  shall  the  sin  oilc-ring 

26  be  killed  before  the  Lord  :  it  is  most  holy.  The 
priest  that  offereth  it  for  sin  shall  eat  it :  in  a 
holy  place  shall  it  be  eaten,  in  the  court  of  the 

27  tent  of  meeting.  Wliatsoever  shall  tourh  the 
flesh  thereof  shall  be  holy:  and  when  there  is 
sprinkled  of  the  blood  thereof  upon  any  gar- 
ment, thou  shalt  wash  that  whereon  it  was  spriii- 

28  kled  in  a  holy  i-lace.  But  the  earthen  vessel 
wherein  it  is  sodilen  shall  be  broken:  and  if  it 
be  sodden  in  a  brasen  vessel,  it  shall  be  scoured, 

29  and  rinsed  in  water.     Every  male  among  the 

30  priests  shall  eat  thereof:  it  is  most  holy.  And 
no  sin  offering,  whereof  any  of  the  blood  is 
brought  into  the  tent  of  meeting  to  make  atone- 
ment in  the  holy  place,  shall  be  eaten:  it  sliall 
be  burnt  with  tire. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


1  LIKEWISE  this  is  the  law  of  the  trespass  offer- 
ing :  it  is  most  holy. 

2  In  the  place  where  they  kill  the  burnt  offering 
sliall  they  kill  the  trespass  offering:  and  the  blood 
thereof  shall  he  sprinkle  round  about  upon  the 
altar. 

3  And  he  shall  offer  of  it  all  the  fat  thereof ;  the 
rump,  and  the  fat  that  covereth  the  inwards. 


1  AND  this  is  the  law  of  the  guilt  offering  :  it  is 

2  most  holy.  In  the  place  where  they  kill  the 
burnt  offering  shall  they  kill  the  guilt  offering: 
and  the  blood  thereof  shall  he  sprinkle  uf)on 

3  the  altar  round  about.  And  he  shall  offer  of  it 
all  the  fat  thereof ;  the  fat  tail,  and  the  fat  that 


the  raw  state,  but  was  prepared  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  minchah  of  pieces  (2:6).  The  char- 
acteristic of  this  priest's  offering  was  that  it  was 
not  to  be  eaten,  but  to  be  wholly  burnt,  as  an 
offering  not  now  intended  for  the  benefit  of  the 
priest  or  representative  of  God,  as  were  the 
minchahs  of  the  laity,  but  expressing  as  an 
odor  of  pleasantness  that  priest's  ow  n  devotion 
to  God's  service. 

24-30.  4.  Regulations  to  he  observed  in  sac- 
rificing the  sin  offeriiig.  This  regulation,  like 
that  regarding  the  high  priest's  meal  offering,  is 
inserted  with  a  new  introductory  formula,  And 
the  Lord  spake,  etc.  The  place  where  the 
burnt  ottering  is  killed  was  the  north  side  of 
the  altar  (i  =  n).  The  sin  offering  which  was  to 
be  eaten  was  regarded  as  most  holy,  that  is,  its 
use  was  most  rigidly  restricted  to  the  priests.  At 
the  same  time  to  eat  it  was  the  priest's  obliga- 
tion, not  simply  an  optional  privilege  (io:i7). 
That  seems  to  have  been  the  priest's  way  of 
"  bearing  the  iniquity  of  the  congregation,"  as 
if  the  sins  of  the  people  w^ere  thereby  incorpo- 
rated into  the  priests  who  partook  of  the  victim 
and  so  taken  away  by  virtue  of  the  sanctifying 
power  of  their  office. 

Whatever  blood  may  have  been  sprinkled 
upon  a  gannent  must  be  washed  out  in  the  holy 


place,  for  it  must  not  be  carried  out  of  the  sanc- 
tuary to  be  mingled  and  confused  with  common 
things.  The  unglazed  earthen  vessels  in  which 
the  holy  flesh  Avas  boiled  would  absorb  the  juices 
and  fat  so  that  they  could  not  be  thoroughly 
cleansed  of  all  traces  of  their  contents — they 
must  be  broken.  With  brazen  vessels  the  ut- 
most pains  must  be  taken  to  remove  every  trace 
of  the  holy  flesh  that  was  boiled  in  them. 

The  significant  general  regulation  of  this  sec- 
tion is  that  no  flesh  whereof  the  blood  is  brought 
into  the  holy  place  is  to  be  eaten.  The  blood 
was  brought  into  the  sanctuary  in  the  case  of 
the  sin  offering  for  the  high  priest  (*  =  5-7),  for 
the  congregation  (4  :  le-is),  and  the  sin  offering 
on  the  Day  of  Atonement  (is  :  27).  In  these 
offerings  the  priests  themselves  shared  as  oftt-r- 
ers,  and,  except  in  the  case  of  peace  offerings,  no 
offerer  partook  of  his  own  victim  (comp.  ver.  :j3). 
This  final  verse  is  thought  by  some  critics  to 
belong,  like  chap.  4,  to  a  later  revision  of  the 
priest  code. 


Chap.  7.  1-7.  5.  Ritual  of  the  guilt  offer- 
ing. The  section  devoted  to  the  guilt  offering 
(5 :  14  to  6  :  7)  only  defined  the  cases  in  which  the 
guilt  offering  was  required,  and  specified  thnt 
the  victim  in  each  was  to  be  a  ram.    The  ritual 


38 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  VII. 


4  And  the  two  kidneys,  and  the  fat  that  is  on 
them,  which  is  by  the  flanks,  and  the  caul  that  is 
above  the  liver,  with  the  kidneys,  it  shall  he  take 
away : 

5  And  the  priest  shall  burn  them  upon  the  altar 
for  an  offering  made  by  lire  unto  the  Lord  :  it  is  a 
trespass  offering. 

6  Every  male  among  the  priests  shall  eat  thereof : 
it  shall  be  eaten  in  the  holy  place :  it  is  most  holy. 

7  As  the  sin  offering  is,  so  is  the  trespass  offering : 
there  is  one  law  for  them  :  the  priest  that  maketh 
atonement  therewith  shall  have  it. 

8  And  the  priest  that  offereth  any  man's  burnt 
offering,  evai  the  priest  shall  have  to  himself  the 
skin  of  the  burnt  offering  which  he  hath  offered. 

9  And  all  the  meat  offering  that  is  baken  in  the 
oven,  and  all  that  is  dressed  in  the  fryingpan,  and 
in  the  pan,  shall  be  the  priesfs  that  offereth  it. 

10  And  every  meatoffering,  mingled  with  oil,  and 
dry,  shall  all  the  sons  of  Aaron  have,  one  as  much 
as  "another, 

11  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace 
offerings,  which  he  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord. 

12  If  he  offer  it  for  a  thanksgiving,  then  he  shall 
offer  with  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  unleavened 
cakes  mingled  with  oil,  and  unleavened  wafers 
anointed  with  oil,  and  cakes  mingled  with  oil,  of 
fine  flour,  fried. 

13  Besides  the  cakes,  he  shall  offer /or  his  offering 
leavened  bread  with  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving 
of  his  peace  offerings. 

14  And  of  it  he  shall  offer  one  out  of  the  whole 
oblation  Jor  an  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord,  and 


4  covereth  the  inwards,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and 
the  fat  that  is  on  them,  which  is  by  the  loins, 
and  the  caul  upon  the  liver,  with  the  kidneys, 

5  shall  he  take  away :  and  the  priest  shall  burn 
them  upon  the  altar  for  an  offering  made  by  fire 

6  unto  the  Lord  :  it  is  a  guilt  offering.    Every  male 
among  the  priests  shall  eat  thereof :  it  shall  be 

7  eaten  in  a  holy  place  :  it  is  most  holy.  As  is  the 
sin  offering,  so  is  the  guilt  offering  :  there  is  one 
law  for  them  :  the  priest  that  maketh  atonement 

8  therewith,  he  shall  have  it.  And  the  priest  that 
offereth  any  man's  burnt  offering,  even  the  priest 
shall  have  to  himself  the  skin  of  the  burnt  offer- 

9  ing  which  he  hath  offered.  And  every  meal  of- 
fering that  is  baken  in  the  oven,  and  all  that  is 
dressed  in  the  frying  pan,  and  on  the  baking 

10  pan,  shall  be  the  priest's  that  offereth  it.  And 
every  meal  offering,  mingled  with  oil,  or  dry, 
shall  all  the  sons  of  Aaron  have,  one  as  well  as 
another. 

11  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace 
offerings,  which  one  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord. 

12  If  he  offer  it  for  a  thanksgiving,  then  he  shall 
offer  with  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  unleav- 
ened cakes  mingled  with  oil,  and  unleavened 
wafers  anointed  with  oil,  and  cakes  mingled 

13  with  oil,  of  fine  flour  soaked.  With  cakes  of 
leavened  bread  he  shall  offer  his  oblation  with 
the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  offerings  for  thanks- 

14  giving.  And  of  it  he  shall  offer  one  out  of  each 
oblation  for  an  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord  ;  it 


of  that  offering  is  given  here.  It  coincides  very 
closely  with  the  ritual  of  the  sin  offering  whose 
blood  is  not  brought  into  the  sanctuary,  except 
for  the  difference  in  the  animal  sacrificed.  As 
to  the  disposal  of  the  ram,  it  is  specified  (ver.  i) 
that  it  is  to  belong  to  the  particular  priest  who 
ofiiciates.    This  gives  occasion  for  the  appendix 

(ver.  8-10)  wllich  folloWS. 

8-10.  Appendix  on  the  priests'  share  in  the 
burnt  and  meal  offerings.  In  the  case  of  the 
burnt  offering  the  skin  is  the  perquisite  of  the 
ofiiciating  priest.  A  distinction  is  made  in 
regard  to  the  different  kinds  of  meal  offering. 
That  which  is  brought  already  prepared  as  cakes, 
perhaps  because  such  offerings  were  made  only 
on  special  occasions  and  presented  in  quantities 
not  too  large  for  one  man's  consumption,  goes  to 
the  priest  who  ofiiciates ;  while  the  larger  and 
more  regular  offering  of  flour  mingled  with  oil 
(chap.  2  :  i),  or  dry — 2: 15,  where  it  should  read, 
"Thoushalt  add  oil  to  it,"  instead  of  "pour 
upon  it" — is  placed  in  a  common  stock  for  all 
the  priests. 

11-21.  6.  Of  the  species  of  peace  offering,  loith 
the  conditions  to  he  observed  by  the  worshiper  in 
eating  the  flesh.  The  method  of  slaying  the  ani- 
mal for  the  peace  offering  and  making  that  part 
of  the  sacrifice  which  is  offered  on  the  altar  was 
prescribed  in  chap.  3.  In  the  present  passage 
we  have  the  bloodless  or  pastry  offering  which 
accompanies  the  sacrifice,  and  the  conditions, 
for  the  different  species,  to  be  observed  in  eating 
the  flesh,    Three  different  species  of  peace  offer- 


ings are  mentioned,  the  thanksgiving,  the  vow, 
and  the  voluntary  or  freewill  offering.  The 
first  would  be  an  act  of  worship  and  feasting 
commemorative  of  some  special  occasion  for 
gratitude,  the  second  would  be  the  fulfillment 
of  some  obligation  promised  beforehand,  and 
the  third  would  be  simply  a  spontaneous  ex- 
pression of  devotion.  The  peace  offering  for  a 
thanksgiving  is  most  fully  described,  the  differ- 
ent kinds  of  oiled  cakes  being  minutely  specified. 
It  is  to  be  observed  that  leavened  or  ordinary 
bread  accompanied  the  thanksgiving  sacrifice 
(ver.  13),  as  the  memorial  of  it  was  not  burned  on 
the  altar  like  the  minchah  (2 :  9,  cf.  11, 12).  One 
loaf  out  of  the  whole  offering  was  set  apart  as  a 
riDnj^,  tWUmdh,  for  Jehovah,  and  appropriated 
to  the  use  of  the  priest.  This  term,  which  is 
generally  translated  heave  offering,  literally 
means  what  is  lifted  off,  the  act  contemplated 
being  probably  not  the  act  of  lifting  up,  or 
ceremonial  raising  toward  God,  as  the  mislead- 
ing translation  heave  offering  would  indicate, 
but  simply  the  act  of  special  setting  apart  or 
reserving.  The  term  is  thus  applied  to  the 
contributions  made  for  the  tabernacle  (Exod.  25  : 
2;  35  :  5,  etc.),  to  the  consccratcd  portion  of  the 
spoil  of  the  Midianites  (Num.  31  :  41),  to  the  land 
assigned  to  the  priests  (Ezek.  48  :  8-12),  etc. 

This  partaking  of  leavened  bread  before  Je- 
hovah, as  the  accompaniment  of  thanksgiving 
for  his  blessings,  seems  like  a  bringing  of  com- 
mon life  into  relation  to  God  in  a  manner  cal- 
culated to  neutralize  and  remedy  the  stiffness 


Ch.  VII.] 


LEVITICUS 


39 


it  shall  be  the  priest's  that  spriiikleth  the  blood  of 
the  peace  offerings. 

15  Aud  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  of- 
ferings for  thanksgiving  shall  be  eaten  the  same 
day  that  it  is  offered  ;  he  shall  not  leave  any  of  it 
until  the  morning. 

16  But  if  the  sacrifice  of  his  offering  be  a  vow,  or 
a  voluntary  offering,  it  shall  be  eaten  the  same  day 
that  he  offereth  his  sacrifice :  and  on  the  morrow 
also  the  remainder  of  it  sliall  be  eaten  : 

17  But  the  remainder  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice 
on  the  third  day  shall  be  burnt  with  fire. 

18  And  if  any  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  his 
peace  offerings  be  eaten  at  all  on  the  third  day,  it 
shall  not  be  accepted,  neither  shall  it  be  imputed 
unto  him  that  offereth  it:  it  shall  be  an  abomina- 
tion, and  the  soul  that  eateth  of  it  shall  bear  his 
iniquity. 

19  And  the  flesh  that  toucheth  any  unclean  thing 
shall  not  be  eaten  ;  it  shall  be  burnt  with  fire :  and 
as  for  the  flesh,  all  that  be  clean  shall  eut  thereof. 

20  But  the  soul  that  eateth  of  the  flesh  of  the  sac- 
rifice of  peace  offerings,  that peWam  unto  the  Lord, 
having  his  uncleanness  upon  him,  even  that  soul 
shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people. 

21  Moreover  the  soul  that  shall  touch  any  un- 
clean thing,  as  the  uncleanness  of  man,  or  any  un- 
clean beast,  or  any  abominable  unclean  thing,  and 
eat  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings, 
which  pertain  unto  the  Lord,  even  that  soul  shall 
be  cut  off  from  his  people. 

22  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

23  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  Ye 
shall  eat  no  manner  of  fat,  of  ox,  or  of  sheep,  or  of 
goat. 

24  And  the  fat  of  the  beast  that  dieth  of  itself, 
and  the  fat  of  that  which  is  torn  with  beasts,  may 
be  used  in  any  other  use  :  but  ye  shall  in  no  wise 
eat  of  it. 

25  For  whosoever  eateth  the  fat  of  the  beast,  of 
which  men  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord,  even  the  soul  that  eateth  it  shall  be  cut  off 
from  his  people. 

26  Moreover  ye  shall  eat  no  manner  of  blood, 
whether  it  be  of  fowl  or  of  beast,  in  any  of  your 
dwellings. 


shall  be  the  priest's  that  sprinkleth  the  blood  of 

15  the  peace  offerings.  And  the  flesli  of  the  sacri- 
fice of  his  peace  offerings  for  thauKsgiving  shall 
be  eaten  on  the  day  of  his  oblation  ;  he  shall  not 

16  leave  any  of  it  until  the  morning.  But  if  the 
sacrifice  of  his  oblation  be  a  vow,  or  a  freewill 
offering,  it  shall  be  eaten  on  the  day  that  he  of- 
fereth his  sacrifice :    and  on  the   morrow  that 

17  which  remaineth  of  it  shall  be  eaten :  but  that 
which  remaineth  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  on 

18  the  third  day  shall  be  burnt  with  fire.  And  if 
any  of  the  flesh  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  of- 
ferings be  eaten  on  the  third  day,  it  shall  not  be 
accepted,  neither  shall  it  be  imputed  unto  him 
that  offereth  it:  it  shall  be  an  abomination,  and 
the  soul  that  eateth  of  it  shall  bear  his  iniquity. 

19  And  the  flesh  that  toucheth  any  unclean  thing 
shall  not  be  eaten  ;  it  shall  be  burnt  with  fire. 
And  as  for  the  flesh,  everyone  that  is  clean  shall 

20  eat  thereof  :  but  the  soul  that  eateth  of  the  fiesh 
of  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  that  pert;iiii 
unto  the  Lord,  having  his  uncleanness  upon  him , 

21  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people.  And 
when  any  one  shall  touch  any  unclean  thing, 
the  uncleanness  of  man,  or  an  unclean  beast,  or 
any  unclean  abomination,  and  eat  of  the  fiesh 
of  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  which  pertain 
unto  the  Lord,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his 
people. 

22  And    the    Lord    spake   unto   Moses,   saying, 

23  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  Ye 

24  shall  eat  no  fat,  of  ox,  or  sheep,  or  goat.  And 
the  fat  of  that  which  dieth  of  itself,  and  the  fat 
of  that  which  is  torn  of  beasts,  may  be  used  for 
any  other  service  :  but  ye  shall  in  no  wise  eat  of 

25  it.  For  whosoever  eateth  the  fat  of  the  beast,  of 
which  men  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto 
the  Lord,  even  the  soul  that  eateth  it  shall  be 

26  cut  off  from  his  people.  And  ye  shall  eat  no 
manner  of  blood,  whether  it  be  of  fowl  or  of 


and  uneasy  dread  which  the  primitive  sense  of  his 
awful  sanctity  would  tend  to  fasten  on  the  mind. 
That  the  divine  holiness,  however  important  to 
be  kept  in  view,  was  not  unfriendly  to  the 
common  enjoyment  of  life,  was  a  truth  which 
this  priest-legislation  did  not  ignore. 

As  to  the  time  during  which  the  flesh  was  to  be 
eaten,  in  the  case  of  the  thanksgiving  offering,  it 
was  to  be  the  same  day ;  for  a  vow  or  a  voluntary 
offering  the  time  during  which  it  might  be  eaten 
was  extended  one  day.  In  no  case,  however, 
was  it  to  be  kept  till  the  third  day,  but  it  was  to 
be  consumed  with  fire.  The  person  who  ate  of 
it  the  third  day  acquired  thereby  no  acceptance 
with  God,  but  on  the  contrary  incurred  guilt. 
The  flesh  thus  remaining  over  became  7Ui3,  plg- 
gul  or  refuse  (ver.  is)^  a  term  which  ought  not 
to  be  confounded  with  "detestable  thing,"  or 
"abomination,"  as  is  done  in  our  Authorized 
and  Revised  versions,  but  which  is  technically 
appropriated  to  stale  or  overtime  flesh  of  the 
sacrifice. 

Any  sacrificial  flesh  that  had  touched  anything 
unclean  was  to  be  burned  with  fire,    Very  strict 


regulations  were  made  in  regard  to  eating  the 
meat  while  one  was  in  a  state  of  uncleanness. 
The  soul  that  overstepped  the  regulations  was 
to  be  cut  off  from  his  people,  i.  e.,  deprived  of 
the  privileges  of  the  covenant  and  made  an 
outlaw.  The  scrupulousness  which  this  law 
reflects  and  formulates  is  suggestively  referred 
to  as  a  familiar  feeling  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
monarchy  (i  Sam.  20  :  26)^  and  is  no  doubt  an 
inheritance  from  the  earliest  times. 

22-27.  7.  Fat  and  blood  not  to  he  eaten.  The 
remainder  of  the  instructions  of  this  chapter  are 
addressed  to  the  people.  This  prohibition  of  the 
eating  of  fat  and  blood  is  more  succinctly  given 
in  3  :  17.  The  ground  of  the  prohibition  in 
regard  to  the  fat,  i.  g.,  3  vH,  chelSbh,  or  suet  (see  on 
3 :  17),  is  that  this  was  a  gift  sanctified  to  Jehovah, 
and  thus  the  eating  was  the  invasion  of  his  right. 
The  prohibition,  therefore,  particularly  specifies 
the  fat  of  such  beasts  as  are  offered  a  fire  offering 
to  Jehovah,  and  probably  does  not  include  such 
animals  as  were  allowed  for  food,  like  the  stag 
and  antelope,  but  were  not  sacrificed.  As  for 
that  which  died  of  itself  or  was  torn  of  beasts, 


40 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  VII. 


27  Whatsoever  soul  it  be  that  eateth  any  manner 
of  blood,  even  that  soul  shall  be  cut  ofiE  from  his 
people. 

28  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

29  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  He 
that  offereth  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  offerings  unto 
the  Lord  shall  bring  his  oblation  unto  the  Lord  of 
the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  offerings. 

30  His  own  hands  shall  bring  the  offerings  of  the 
Lord  made  by  fire,  the  fat  with  the  breast,  it  shall 
he  bring,  that  the  breast  may  be  waved /or  a  wave 
offering  before  the  Lord. 

31  And  the  priest  shall  burn  the  fat  upon  the 
altar :  but  the  breast  shall  be  Aaron's  and  his  sons'. 

32  And  the  right  shoulder  shall  ye  give  unto  the 
priest /or  an  heave  offering  of  the  sacrifices  of  your 
peace  offerings. 

33  He  among  the  sons  of  Aaron,  that  offereth  the 
blood  of  the  peace  offerings,  and  the  fat,  shall  have 
the  right  shoulder  for  his  part. 

34  For  the  wave  breast  and  the  heave  shoulder 
have  I  taken  of  the  children  of  Israel  from  off  the 
sacrifices  of  their  peace  offerings,  and  have  given 
them  unto  Aaron  the  priest  and  unto  his  sons  by  a 
statute  for  ever  from  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

35  This  is  the  portion  of  the  anointing  of  Aaron, 
and  of  the  anointing  of  his  sons,  out  of  the  offer- 
ings of  the  Lord  made  by  fire,  in  the  day  when  he 
presented  them  to  minister  unto  the  Lord  in  the 
priest's  office ; 

36  Which  the  Lord  commanded  to  be  given  them 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  in  the  day  that  he  anointed 
them,  6?/ a  statute  for  ever  throughout  their  gen- 
erations. 

37  This  is  the  law  of  the  burnt  offering,  of  the 
meat  offering,  and  of  the  sin  offering,  and  of  the 
trespass  offering,  and  of  the  consecrations,  and  of 
the  sacrifice  of  the  peace  offerings ; 


27  beast,  in  any  of  your  dwellings.  Whosoever  it 
be  that  eateth  any  blood,  that  soul  shall  be  cut 
off  from  his  people. 

28  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

29  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  He 
that  offereth  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  offerings 
unto  the  Lord  shall  bring  his  oblation  unto  the 
Lord  out  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  peace  offerings  : 

80  his  own  hands  shall  bring  the  offerings  of  the 
Lord  made  by  fire  ;  the  fat  with  the  breast  shall 
he  bring,  that  the  breast  may  be  waved  for  a 

31  wave  offering  before  the  Lord.  And  the  priest 
shall  burn  the  fat  upon  the  altar:  but  the  breast 

32  shall  be  Aaron's  and  his  sons'.  And  the  right 
thigh  shall  ye  give  unto  the  priest  for  an  heave 
offering  out  of  the  sacrifices  of  your  peace  offcr- 

33  ings.  He  among  the  sons  of  Aaron,  that  offereth 
the  blood  of  the  peace  offerings,  and  the  fat, 

34  shall  have  the  right  thigh  for  a  portion.  For  the 
wave  breast  and  the  heave  thigh  have  I  taken 
of  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  the  sacrifices  of 
their  peace  offerings,  and  have  given  them  unto 
Aaron  the  priest  and  unto  his  sons  as  a  due  for 
ever  from  the  children  of  Israel. 

35  This  is  the  anointing-portion  of  Aaron,  and 
the  anointing-portion  of  his  sons,  out  of  the  of- 
ferings of  the  Lord  made  by  fire,  in  the  day  when 
he  presented  them  to  minister  unto  the  Lord  in 

36  the  priest's  office ;  which  the  Lord  commanded 
to  be  given  them  of  the  children  of  Israel,  in  the 
day  that  he  anointed  them.    It  is  a  due  for  ever 

37  throughout  their  generations.  This  is  the  law 
of  the  burnt  offering,  of  the  meal  offering,  and 
of  the  sin  offering,  and  of  the  guilt  offering,  and 
of  the  consecration,  and  of  the  sacrifice  of  peace 


the  reason  for  not  eating  the  flesh  itself  would 
abundantly  suffice  for  not  eating  the  fat,  namely, 
that  it  defiled  the  eater.  The  prohibition  against 
blood  included  that  of  birds  as  well  as  of  cattle, 
and  was  to  be  observed  by  Israel  in  all  his 
dwelling-places,  because  the  blood  was  regarded 
as  the  soul  of  the  animal,  which  God  sanctified 
as  the  medium  for  the  atonement  of  the  soul  of 
man  (n  :  n). 

28-34.  8.  The  priest's  share  of  the  peace 
offering.  In  the  peace  offerings,  which  were  the 
sacrifices  on  which  the  offerers  feasted,  the  suet 
was  sacred  to  Jehovah  for  the  fire  offering  on  the 
altar,  while  the  breast  or  brisket  Jehovah 
claimed  as  his  own  for  the  use  of  his  representa- 
tives the  priests.  The  act  of  devoting  this  por- 
tion to  Jehovah  that  it  might  revert  to  the  use 
of  the  sanctuary  was  symbolized  by  waving,  i.  e., 
placing  it  upon  the  offerer's  hands,  along  with 
those  of  the  j^riest  placed  underneath,  and  mov- 
ing it  to  and  fro.  The  term  seems  to  have  been 
sometimes  used  more  generally  of  the  act  of 
devoting  any  gift  to  Jehovah,  which  was  to  be 
received  back  for  sacred  use  rather  then  sent  up 
irrevocably  in  the  altar  flame,  as  where  men 
were  said  to  wave  a  wave  offering  of  gold  for  the 
tabernacle  (Rxod.  35  :  22).  "Waving  especially 
characterized  the  act  of  consecration,  and  even 
the  Levites  at  their  consecration  to  the  tabernacle 
service  were  said  to  be  waved  (Num.  8:11)^  perhaps 


by  being  conducted  solemnly  up  to  the  altar 
and  back  again.  In  addition  to  the  wave  breast, 
which  reverted  to  the  priests  in  general,  there 
was  also  given  to  the  priest  who  officiated  the 
right  thigh  or  round  as  a  t'rwmah,  i.e.,  a.  portion 
lifted  off* or  set  apart  (see  on  ver.  14).  The  legisla- 
tion in  this  place  is  different  from  that  in  Deut. 
18  :  3,  where  the  priest's  portion  is  designated  as 
the  shoulder  (called  in  Hebrew  the  arm),  the 
two  cheeks,  and  the  maw.  It  is  thought  by 
modern  critics  that  this  priest  code  represents 
the  latest  stage  in  the  history  of  the  sacerdotal 
rites,  the  earlier  stages  being  reflected  first  in  1 
Sam.  2  :  13-16,  where  the  priest  is  seen  to  have 
no  understood  claim  to  definite  dues  of  flesh,  and 
secondly  in  Deuteronomy  {lac.  cit.),  where  the 
priest's  dues  are  fixed  definitely,  but  where  the 
portion  assigned  him  is  not  so  choice  as  in  this 
passage. 

35,  36.  First  subscription  to  the  preceding 
section.  This  subscription  applies  to  the  sec- 
tion 6  :  8  to  7  :  34,  in  so  far  as  this  comprises 
regulations  respecting  the  priests'  share  in  the 
different  offerings.  The  anointing  portion  per- 
haps means  the  portion  due  the  i:)riests  in  virtue 
of  their  anointing  or  office  ;  though  Driver  holds 
that  this  translation  is  due  to  a  mistaken  ety- 
mology, and  that  the  term  means  something 
measured  out  or  allotted. 

37,38.  Second  7riore  general  subscription.  In 


Ch.  VIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


41 


38  Which  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  in  mount 
Sinai,  in  the  day  that  he  commanded  the  children 
of  Israel  to  offer  their  oblations  unto  the  Lord,  in 
the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 


38  offerings  ;  which  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  iu 
mount  Sinai,  in  the  day  tliat  he  commanded  the 
children  of  Israel  to  offer  their  oblations  unto 
the  Lord,  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Take  Aaron  and  his  sons  with  him,  and  the 
garments,  and  the  anointing  oil,  and  a  bullock  for 
the  sin  offering,  and  two  rams,  and  a  basket  of 
unleavened  bread ; 

3  And  gather  thou  all  the  congregation  together 
unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

4  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  him  ; 
and  the  assembly  was  gathered  together  unto  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

5  And  Moses  said  unto  the  congregation.  This  is 
the  thing  which  the  Lord  commanded  to  be  done. 

6  And  Moses  brought  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and 
washed  them  witli  water. 

7  And  he  put  upon  him  the  coat,  and  girded  him 
with  the  girdle,  and  clothed  him  with  the  robe, 
and  put  the  ephod  upon  him,  and  he  girded  him 
with  the  curious  girdle  of  the  ephod,  and  bound  it 
unto  him  therewith. 

8  And  he  put  the  breastplate  upon  him  :  also  he 
put  in  the  breusplate  the  Urim  and  the  Thummim. 

9  And  he  put  the  mitre  upon  his  head  ;  also  upon 
the  mitre,  eveyi  upon  his  forefront,  did  he  put  the 
golden  plate,  the  holy  crown ;  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses. 

10  And  Moses  took  the  anointing  oil,  and  anointed 
the  tabernacle  and  all  that  was  therein,  and  sanc- 
tified them. 

11  And  he  sprinkled  thereof  upon  the  altar  seven 
times,  and  anointed  the  altar  and  all  his  vessels, 
both  the  laver  and  his  foot,  to  sanctify  them. 

12  And  he  poured  of  the  anointing  oil  upon 
Aaron's  head,  and  anointed  him,  to  sanctify  him. 


1  AND   the   Lord    spake   unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Take  Aaron  and  his  sons  with  him,  and  the  gar- 
ments, and  the  anointing  oil,  and  the  bullock  of 
the  sin  oft'eriug,  and  the  two  rams,  and  the  bas- 

3  ket  of  unleavened  bread  ;  and  assemble  thou  all 
the  congregation  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 

4  ing.  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded 
him  ;  and  the  congregation  was  assembled  at 

5  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting.  And  Moses  said 
unto  the  congregation,  This  is  the  thing  which 

6  the  Lord  hath  commanded  to  be  done.  And 
Moses  brought  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  washed 

7  them  with  water.  And  he  put  upon  him  the 
coat,  and  girded  him  with  the  girdle,  and 
clothed  him  with  the  robe,  and  put  the  ephud 
upon  him,  and  he  girded  him  with  the  cun- 
ningly woven  band  of  the  ephod,  and  bound  it 

8  unto  him  therewith.  And  he  placed  the  breast- 
plate upon  him  :  and  in  the  breastplate  he  put 

9  the  Urim  and  the  Thummim.  And  he  set  the 
mitre  upon  his  head  ;  and  upon  the  mitre,  in 
front,  did    he  set  the  golden    plate,  the  holy 

10  crown;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.  And 
Moses  took  the  anointing  oil,  and  anointed  the 
tabernacle  and  all  that  was  therein,  and  sanc- 

IJ  tilled  them.  And  he  sprinkled  thereof  upon  the 
altar  seven  times,  and  anointed  the  altar  and  all 
its  vessels,  and  the  laver  and  its  base,  to  sanc- 

12  tify  them.  And  he  poured  of  the  anointing  oil 
upon  Aaron's  head,  and  anointed  him,  to  sauc- 


its  form  this  subscription  seems  to  relate  only  to 
the  section  beginning  with  6  :  8,  and  charac- 
terized by  the  recurring  formula,  This  is  the 
la.w  of.  Only  the  laws  thus  introduced  are 
recognized  in  the  subscription,  where  they  occur 
mainly  in  the  same  order.  This  passage,  how- 
ever, forms  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  law  of 
the  offerings. 


III.   The  consecration  of  the  priests, 

AND     THEIR    SOLEMN     ENTRY    UPON     OFFICE, 

chap.  8  to  10. 

Chap.  8.  1-4.  1.  The  preparation.  This 
account  of  the  consecration  of  Aaron  and  his 
sons,  which  is  the  only  narrative  portion  of  the 
book  with  the  exception  of  the  short  account  of 
the  stoning  of  the  blasphemer  (24  :  10-23)^  follows 
closely  the  directions  given  to  Moses  in  Exod. 
29  :  1-37;  40  :  12-15.  "The"  bullock  and 
"the"  rams  and  "the"  basket  of  unleavened 
(see  R.  v.),  were  the  ones  prescribed  in  that  pas- 
sage. The  basket  contained  loaves,  i.  e.,  flat 
circular  cakes  (ver.  26;  Exod.  29  :  23)  of  unleavened 
bread,  also  cakes  kneaded  with  oil  and  cakes 
anointed  with  oil  (see  Exod  29  :  2),  The  whole 
congregation  was  assembled  In  the  court  of  the 
tabernacle  near  the  altar. 

5-13,    2.  The  washing,  clothing,  and  anoint- 


ing. After  premising  that  what  was  immedi- 
ately to  take  place  before  their  eyes  was  accord- 
ing to  the  explicit  command  of  Jehovah,  Moses 
brought  Aaron  and  his  sons  near  before  the  con- 
gregation and  washed  them  with  water.  He 
then  clothed  Aaron  with  the  ©fficial  garments 
prescribed  in  Exod.  28,  putting  on  him  first  the 
tunic  or  shirt  of  checker-work  of  linen  (Exod.  28  : 
39),  girding  it  with  its  girdle  or  sash,  then  the 
one-piece  robe  (ibid.,  31-35)  on  the  skirt  of  which 
were  the  bells  and  pomegranates,  then  the  ephod 
(ibid.,  6-14)  of  two  picccs,  frout  aiid  back,  held  to- 
gether at  the  shoulders  by  the  jeweled  clasps 
on  which  the  names  of  the  tribes  were  engraved, 
and  bound  to  the  wearer  by  its  curious  girdle. 
Upon  this  he  put  the  breastplate  (ibid.,  15-30)  in- 
side of  which  were  the  Urim  and  Thummim  or 
instruments  for  sacred  divination.  Then  upon 
his  head  he  put  the  mitre  or  turban  (ibid.,  39) 
with  its  engraved  gold  plate  or  diadem  of  holi- 
ness (Ibid.,  36-38). 

With  the  anointing  oil,  whose  composition  is 
given  in  Exod.  30  :  22,  seq.,  Moses  anointed  first 
the  tabernacle  with  its  furniture,  including  the 
altar  and  the  laver,  and  then  poured  the  oil 
on  the  head  of  Aaron.  The  anointing  of  the 
sons,  while  not  directly  asserted  here,  is  com- 
manded in  Exod,  28  :  41 ;  40  :  15,  and  implied  in 


42 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  VIII. 


13  And  Moses  brought  Aaron's  sons,  and  put 
coats  upon  them,  and  girded  them  with  girdles, 
and  put  bonnets  upon  tiiem ;  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses. 

14  And  he  brought  the  bullock  for  the  sin  offer- 
ing :  and  Aaron  and  his  sous  laid  their  hands  upon 
the  head  of  the  bullock  for  the  sin  offering. 

15  And  he  slew  it;  and  Moses  took  the  blood,  and 

Eut  it  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar  round  about  with 
is  finger,  and  purified  the  altar,  and  poured  the 
blood  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar,  and  sanctified  it, 
to  make  reconciliation  upon  it. 

It)  And  he  took  all  the  fat  that  was  upon  the  in- 
wards, and  the  caul  above  the  liver,  and  the  two 
kidneys,  and  their  fat,  and  Moses  burned  it  upon 
the  altar. 

17  But  the  bullock,  and  his  hide,  his  flesh,  and 
his  dung,  he  burnt  with  fire  without  the  camp  ;  as 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

18  And  he  brought  the  ram  for  the  burnt  offer- 
ing :  and  Aaron  and  his  sons  laid  their  hands  upon 
the  head  of  the  ram. 

19  And  he  killed  it ;  and  Moses  sprinkled  the 
blood  upon  the  altar  round  about. 

20  And  he  cut  the  ram  into  pieces ;  and  Moses 
burnt  the  head,  and  the  pieces,  and  the  fat. 


13  tify  him.  And  Moses  brought  Aaron's  sons,  and 
clothed  them  with  coats,  and  girded  them  with 
girdles,  and  bound  head  tires  upon  them  ;  as  the 

14  Lord  commanded  Moses.  And  he  brought  the 
bullock  of  the  sin  offering  :  and  Aaron  and  his 
sons  laid  their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  bul- 

15  lock  of  the  sin  offering.  And  he  slew  it :  and 
Moses  took  the  blood,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns 
of  the  altar  round  about  with  his  finger,  and 
purified  the  altar,  and  poured  out  the  blood  at 
the  base  of  the  altar,  and  sanctified  it,  to  make 

16  atonement  for  it.  And  he  took  all  the  fat  that 
was  upon  the  inwards,  and  the  caul  of  the  liver, 
and  the  two  kidneys,  and  their  fat,  and  Moses 

17  burned  it  upon  the  altar.  But  the  bullock,  and 
its  skin,  and  its  flesh,  and  its  dung,  he  burnt 
with  fire  without  the  camp ;  as  the  Lord  com- 

18  manded  Moses.  And  he  presented  the  ram  of 
the  burnt  offering :  and  Aaron  and  his  sons  laid 

19  their  hands  upon  the  head  of  the  ram.  And  he 
killed  it:  ancf  Moses  sprinkled  the  blood  upon 

20  the  altar  round  about.  And  he  cut  the  ram  into 
its  pieces ;  and  Moses  burnt  the  head,  and  the 


7  :  36  and  10  :  7.  They  are  said  also  (ver.  no)  to 
have  been  sprinkled  with  mingled  blood  and  oil 
along  with  their  father.  From  the  fact  that 
the  high  priest  is  distinguished  as  the  anointed 
priest  in  4  :  3,  and  from  some  other  indications, 
Driver  is  inclined  to  regard  those  passages  com- 
manding or  implying  an  anointing  of  the  inferior 
priests,  beyond  this  sprinkling  with  blood  and 
oil  (ver.  30) J  as  glosses  of  doubtful  authenticity. 
Moses  also  clothed  the  sons,  according  to  the 
directions  in  Exod.  28  :  40,  with  body-coats  of 
common  woven  work  (Kxod.  39  :  27)^  girdles,  and 
head  tires. 

14-17.  3.  The  sin  offering.  The  sin  offering 
prescribed  in  chap.  4  is  an  offering  for  actual 
sin  committed  through  error  and  subsequently 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  transgressor. 
Here  we  have  a  sin  offering  prescribed  for  a 
hitherto  innocent  person  as  a  preparation  for  a 
life  of  higher  consecration,  a  sort  of  general 
clearing  up  of  any  possible  defilements,  even 
though  conscious  transgression  has  not  occurred. 
A  similar  association  of  the  sin  offering  with  a 
voluntary  life  of  higher  devotion  is  seen  in  the 
case  of  the  vow  of  the  Nazarite  (Num.  e-.u).  This 
points  to  the  conception  of  sin  as  a  state  or  level 
of  life,  rather  than  simply  an  act  or  series  of 
acts  that  could  be  brought  to  mind  or  checked 
off  in  an  index  of  prohibited  indulgences.  As 
compared  with  a  state  of  higher  .sanctity  the 
ordinary  life  is  a  state  of  sin,  innocent  enough 
when  not  viewed  from  the  level  of  the  purer 
and  more  scrupulous  life,  but  needing  a  sin 
offering  as  soon  as  the  person  passes  to  a  higher 
ethical  standpoint.  This  offering  is  the  act  of 
one  who  has  acquired  the  insight  to  say. 

Who  can  discern  his  errors  ? 

Clear  thou  me  from  hidden  faults, 


(pg.  19  :  12.)  The  conception  of  sin  may  not  have 
widened  beyond  the  old  primitive  idea  of  a  de- 
filement or  a  contagion ;  but  it  is  already  at 
least  thought  of,  in  some  of  its  aspects,  as  a  de- 
filement so  inward  that  it  may  not  be  discerned, 
so  intimately  blended  with  the  positive  con- 
science that  it  increases  on  the  adoption  of  a 
preferred  purity — the  condemnation,  indeed,  not 
of  a  fall  but  of  an  obligation  to  rise,  the  faint 
foreshadowing  of  that  arduous  morality  whose 
final  standard  and  instrument  of  self-condemna- 
tion is,  "  Be  ye  perfect." 

The  victim  employed  for  this  sin  offering  was 
a  bullock,  and  the  manner  of  offering  was 
mainly  according  to  the  directions  given  for  the 
sin  offering  for  the  anointed  priest  in  4  :  3-12. 
An  important  divergence,  however,  is  seen  in 
the  disposal  of  the  blood.  This  was  not  sprin- 
kled seven  times  before  the  veil,  as  there  di- 
rected, nor  was  it  brought  into  the  holy  place 
and  smeared  on  the  horns  of  the  altar  of  incense. 
At  the  same  time  its  flesh  was  not  eaten  accord- 
ing to  the  general  regulation  for  sin  offerings 
whose  blood  was  not  brought  into  the  sanctu- 
ary, but  burned  according  to  the  law  for  those 
whose  blood  was  brought  into  the  holy  place 
(6  :  30;  10  :  18 :  Heb.  13  :  ii).  This  may  be  because 
the  directions  given  here  represent  a  less  ad- 
vanced stage  in  the  growth  of  the  sacrificial  sys- 
tem than  chap  4  (see  on  4  :  22-26) ;  but  it  may  also 
be  because,  neither  Moses  nor  Aaron  being  yet 
consecrated  as  priests,  the  blood  was  treated  as 
in  the  case  of  the  sin  offering  of  the  ruler  (*  =  25) 
or  one  of  the  common  people  (ibid.,  30),  and  yet 
the  flesh  was  not  eaten  because  only  priests  had 
a  right  to  eat  the  sin  offering  (6  :  25,  26). 

18-21.  4.  The  burnt  offering.  The  first  ram 
with  whieh  Moses  was  commanded  to  provide 


Ch.  VIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


43 


21  And  he  washed  the  inwards  and  the  legs  in 
water ;  and  Moses  burnt  the  whole  ram  upon  the 
altar:  it  was  a  burnt  sacrihce  for  a  sweet  savour, 
and  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  ;  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 

22  And  he  brought  the  other  ram,  the  ram  ot 
consecration :  and  Aaron  and  his  sous  laid  their 
hands  upon  the  head  of  the  ram. 

23  And  he  slew  it ;  and  Moses  took  of  the  blood 
of  it,  and  put  it  upon  the  tip  of  Aaron's  right  ear, 
and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon 
the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot. 

24  And  he  brought  Aaron's  sons,  and  Moses  put 
of  the  blood  upon  the  tip  of  their  right  ear, 
and  upon  the  thumbs  of  their  right  hands,  and 
upon  the  great  toes  of  their  right  feet :  and  Moses 
sprinkled  the  blood  upon  the  altar  round  about. 

25  And  he  took  the  fat,  and  the  rump,  and  all  the 
fat  that  was  upon  the  inwards,  and  the  caul  above 
the  liver,  and  the  two  kidneys,  and  their  fat,  and 
the  right  shoulder : 

26  And  out  of  the  basket  of  unleavened  bread, 
that  was  before  the  Lord,  he  took  one  unleavened 
cake,  and  a  cake  of  oiled  bread,  and  one  wafer,  and 
put  them  on  the  fat,  and  upon  the  right  shoulder  : 

27  And  he  put  all  upon  Aaron's  bauds,  and  upon 
his  sons'  hands,  and  waved  them  for  a  wave 
offering  before  the  Lord. 

28  And  Moses  took  them  from  off  their  hands, 
and  burnt  thein  on  the  altar  upon  the  burnt  offer- 
ing :  they  were  consecrations  for  a  sweet  savour :  it 
is  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 

29  And  Moses  took  the  breast,  and  waved  it  for 
a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord :  for  of  the  ram 
of  consecration  it  was  Moses'  part ;  as  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses. 

30  And  Moses  took  of  the  anointing  oil,  and  of 
the  blood  which  was  upon  the  altar,  and  sprinkled 
it  upon  Aaron,  and  upon  his  garments,  and  upon 
his  sons,  and  upon  his  sons'  garments  with  him ; 
and  sanctified  Aaron,  aiid  his  garments,  and  his 
sons,  and  his  sons'  garments  with  him. 

31  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons. 
Boil  the  flesh  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 


21  pieces,  and  the  fat.  And  he  washed  the  inwards 
and  the  legs  with  water ;  and  Moses  burnt  the 
whole  raui  upon  the  altar  :  it  was  a  burnt  offer- 
ing for  a  sweet  savour  :  it  was  an  offering  made 
by  fire  unto  the  Lord  ;  as  the  Lord  commanded 

22  Moses.  And  he  presented  the  other  ram,  the 
ram  of  consecration  :  and  Aaron  and  his  sons 

23  laid  their  liaiids  upon  the  head  of  the  ram.  And 
he  slew  it ;  and  Moses  took  of  the  blood  thereof, 
and  put  it  upon  the  tip  of  Aaron's  right  ear,  and 
upon  the  thuuib  of  his  right  hand,  and  upontiie 

24  great  toe  of  his  right  f(K)t.  And  he  brought  Aa- 
ron's sons,  and  Moses  put  of  the  blood  ui>on  tlie 
tip  of  their  right  ear,  and  upon  the  thumb  of 
their  right  hand,  and  upon  tlie  great  toe  of  their 
right  foot :  and  Moses  sprinkled  the  blood  upon 

25  the  altar  round  about.  And  he  took  the  fat,and 
the  fat  tail,  and  all  the  fat  that  was  upon  the 
inwards,  and  the  caul  of  the  liver,  and  the  two 

26  kidneys,  and  their  fat,  and  the  right  thigh  :  and 
out  of  the  basket  of  unleavened  bread,  that 
was  before  tiie  Lord,  he  took  one  unleavened 
cake,  and  one  cake  of  oiled  bread,  and  one 
wafer,  and  placed  them  on  the  fat,  and  upon  the 

27  right  tliigh :  and  he  put  the  whole  upon  the 
hands  of  Aaron,  and  upon  the  hands  of  his  sons, 
and  waved  them  for  a  wave  offering  before  the 

28  Lord.  And  Moses  took  them  from  off  their 
hands,  and  burnt  them  on  the  altar  upon  the 
burnt  offering :  they  were  a  ctjnsecration  for  a 
sweet  savour :  it  was  an  offering  made  by  lire 

29  unto  the  Lord.  And  Moses  took  the  breast,  and 
waved  it  for  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord  :  it 
was  Moses'  portion  of  the  ram  of  consecration  ; 

30  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.  And  Moses  took 
of  the  anointing  oil,  and  of  the  blood  which  was 
upon  the  altar,  and  sprinkled  it  upon  Aaron, 
upon  his  garments,  and  upon  his  sons,  and  upon 
his  sons'  garments  with  him  ;  and  sanctified 
Aaron,  his  garments,  and  'is  sons,  and  his  sons' 

31  garments  with  him.  And  Moses  said  unto  Aar- 
on and  to  his  sons,  Boil  the  flesh  at  the  door  of 


himself  (ver.  2)  was  offered  as  a  burnt  offering 
according  to  the  ritual  laid  down  in  chap.  1. 
Thus  Aaron  and  his  sons,  who  laid  their  hands 
on  the  head  of  the  victim,  expressed  their  pur- 
posed sanctification,  body  and  soul,  to  the  service 
of  Jehovah, 

22-30.  5.  The  ram  of  consecration.  The 
second,  the  ram  of  consecration  or  installation, 
was  treated  as  a  peace  offering,  of  which,  how- 
ever, unlike  ordinary  peace  offerings,  only  the 
priests  could  eat  (Exod.  29  :  33).  It  was  called  the 
ram  of  consecration,  literally  the  ram  of  fillings, 
perhaps  from  the  ceremony  of  filling  the  hands  of 
Aaron  and  of  his  sons  with  selected  portions  of 
it,  as  described  in  ver.  27.  To  fill  the  hands 
came  ultimately  to  mean  simply  to  consecrate, 
so  that  Ezekiel  uses  the  term  even  of  the  con- 
secration of  an  altar  (Ezek.  43  :  26).  The  peculiar 
feature  of  the  sacrificing  of  this  ram  was,  first 
the  disposal  of  the  blood,  and  then  the  waving 
or  filling  ceremony  connected  with  the  portions 
to  be  sacrificed.  A  bit  of  blood  was  put  upon 
the  right  ear  of  Aaron  and  of  his  sons,  and 
upon  the  thumb  of  the  right  hand,  and  upon  the 
great  toe  of  the  right  foot,  doubtless  to  express, 
not  the  ckari^sing  of  the  natural  powers  as  in 


the  putting  of  the  blood  of  the  guilt  offering  on 
the  same  parts  of  the  cured  leper  {^i  ■  i*-!"?),  but 
the  consecration  of  the  powers  to  the  service  of 
Jehovah.  Then  taking  the  fat  portions  which 
were  always  claimed  from  the  peace  offerings 
for  the  altar,  together  with  the  right  thigh  and 
one  of  each  species  of  cake  in  the  basket  before 
Jehovah,  Moses  placed  them  upon  the  hands  of 
Aaron  and  of  his  sons  and  Avaved  them  before 
Jehovah,  thus  offering  them  to  Jehovah  for  the 
use  of  the  sanctuary  (see  on  7  :  28-:u)^  and  then 
took  them  from  their  hands  and  burned  them 
on  the  altar ;  so  that  in  their  initial  consecra- 
tion even  that  which  belonged  exclusively  to 
the  priests  {^  ■  34)  w-as  sacrificed  to  Jehovah. 
One  reserve  of  the  priest's  portion,  however, 
was  made  in  this  consecration  act :  the  w^ave 
breast  became  the  portion  of  Moses,  the  specially 
commissioned  mediator  of  the  law.  Finally 
Moses  took  some  of  the  blood  of  the  sacrificed 
ram,  along  with  some  of  the  anointing  oil,  and 
sprinkled  upon  Aaron  and  his  sons  and  upon 
their  garments  to  sanctify  them. 

31-36.  6.  Remaining  ceremonial  for  the  seven 
days.  This  ceremonial  consisted  of  the  conse- 
cration feast  at  the  completion  of  the  first  day's 


44 


LEVITICUS 


LCh.  IX. 


congregation  :  and  there  eat  it  with  the  bread  that 
is  in  tlie  basket  of  consecrations,  as  I  commanded, 
saying,  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  eat  it. 

32  And  that  which  remaineth  of  the  flesh  and  of 
the  bread  shall  ye  burn  with  fire. 

33  And  ye  shall  not  go  out  of  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation  in  seven  days,  until 
the  days  of  your  consecration  be  at  an  end :  for 
seven  days  shall  he  consecrate  you. 

34  As  he  hath  done  this  daj^  so  the  Lord  hath 
commanded  to  do,  to  make  an  atonement  for  you. 

85  Therefore  shall  ye  abide  at  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation  day  and  night  seven 
days,  and  keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  that  ye  die 
not :  for  so  I  am  commanded. 

36  So  Aaron  and  his  sons  did  all  things  which 
the  Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 


the  tent  of  meeting:  and  there  eat  it  and  the 
bread  that  is  in  the  basket  of  consecration,  as  I 
commanded,  saying,  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall 

32  eat  it.    And  that  which  remaineth  of  the  flesh 

33  and  of  the  bread  shall  ye  burn  with  fire.  And 
ye  shall  not  go  out  from  the  door  of  the  tent  of 
meeting  seven  days,  until  the  days  of  your  con- 
secration be   fulfilled:  for  he  shall   consecrate 

34  you  seven  days.  As  hath  been  done  tiiisday,  so 
the  Lord  hath  commanded  to  do,  to  make  atone- 

35  ment  for  you.  And  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of 
meeting  shall  ye  abide  dav  and  night  seven 
days,  and  keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  that  ve 

36  die  not:  for  so  I  am  commanded.  And  Aaron 
and  his  sons  did  all  the  things  which  the  Lord 
commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 


CHAPTER    IX 


1  AND  it  came  to  pass  on  the  eighth  day,  that 
Moses  called  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  the  elders 
of  Israel ; 

2  And  he  said  unto  Aaron,  Take  thee  a  young 
calf  for  a  sin  offering,  and  a  ram  for  a  burnt  offer- 
ing, without  blemish,  and  offer  them  before  the 
Lord. 

3  And  unto  the  children  of  Israel  thou  shalt 
speak,  saying,  Take  ye  a  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 
offering  ;  and  a  calf  and  a  lamb,  both  of  the  first 
year,  without  blemish,  for  a  burnt  offering  ; 

4  Also  a  bullock  and  a  ram  for  peace  offerings,  to 
sacrifice  before  the  Lord  ;  and  a  meatoffering  min- 
gled with  oil :  for  to  day  the  Lord  will  appear  unto 
you. 

5  And  they  brought  that  which  Moses  com- 
manded befoi'e  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  : 
and  all  the  congregation  drew  near  and  stood 
before  the  Lord. 

6  And  Moses  said,  This  is  the  thing  which  the 
Lord  commanded  that  ye  should  do :  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  shall  appear  unto  you. 

7  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Go  unto  the  altar, 
and  offer  thy  sin  offering,  and  thy  burnt  offering, 
and  make  an  atonement  for  thyself,  and  for  the 
people :  and  offer  the  offering  of  the  people,  and 
make  an  atonement  for  them ;  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded. 

8  Aaron  therefore  went  unto  the  altar,  and  slew 
the  calf  of  the  sin  offering,  which  was  for  himself. 

9  And  the  sons  of  Aaron  brought  the  blood  unto 
him  :  and  he  dipped  his  finger  in  the  blood,  and 
put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar,  and  poured  out 
the  blood  at  the  bottom  of  the  altar : 

10  But  the  fat,  and  the  kidneys,  and  the  caul 
above  the  liver  of  the  sin  offering,  he  burnt  upon 
the  altar ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

11  And  the  flesh  and  the  hide  he  burnt  with  fire 
without  the  camp. 

12  And  he  slew  the  burnt  offering ;  and  Aaron's 
sons  presented  unto  him  the  blood,  which  he 
sprinkled  round  about  upon  the  altar. 

13  And  they  presented  the  burnt  offering  unto 
him,  with  the  pieces  thereof,  and  the  head  :  and 
he  burnt  thnn  upon  the  altar. 

14  And  he  did  wash  the  inwards  and  the  legs, 
and  burnt  thejii  upon  the  burnt  offering  on  the  altar. 


1  AND  it  came  to  pass  on  the  eighth  day,  that 
Moses  called  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and  the  elders 

2  of  Israel ;  and  he  said  unto  Aaron,  Take  thee  a 
bull  calf  for  a  sin  offering,  and  a  ram  for  a  burnt 
offering,  without  blemish,  and  offer  them  before 

3  the  Lord.  And  unto  the  children  of  Israel  thou 
shalt  speak,  saying.  Take  ye  a  he-goat  for  a  sin 
offering  ;  and  a  calf  and  a  lamb,  both  of  the  first 
year,   without  blemish,   for  a  burnt   offering ; 

4  and  an  ox  and  a  ram  for  peace  offerings,  to  sac- 
rifice before  the  Lord  ;  and  a  meal  offering  min- 
gled with  oil :  for  to-day  the  Lord  appeareth 

5  unto  you.  And  they  brought  that  which  Moses 
commanded  before  the  tent  of  meeting  :  and  all 
the  congregation  drew  near  and  stood  before  the 

6  Lord.  And  Moses  said.  This  is  the  thing  which 
the  Lord  commanded  that  ye  should  do :  and 
the  glory  of  the  Lord   shall   appear  unto  you. 

7  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Draw  near  unto  the 
altar,  and  offer  thy  sin  offering,  and  thy  burnt 
offering,  and  make  atonement  ifor  thyself,  and 
for  the  people:  and  offer  the  oblation  of  the 
people,  and  make  atonement  for  them ;  as  the 

8  Lord  commanded.  So  Aaron  drew  near  unto 
the  altar,  and  slew  the  calf  of  the  sin  offering, 

9  which  was  for  himself.  And  the  sons  of  Aaron 
presented  the  blood  unto  him  :  and  he  dipped 
his  finger  in  the  blood,  and  put  it  upon  the 
horns  of  the  altar,  and  poured  out  the  blood  at 

10  the  base  of  the  altar:  but  the  fat,  and  the  kid- 
neys, and  the  caul  from  the  liver  of  the  sin 
offering,  he  burnt  upon  the  altar ;  as  the  Lord 

11  commanded  Moses.    And  the  flesh  and  the  skin 

12  he  burnt  with  fire  without  the  camp.  And  he 
slew  the  burnt  offering;  and  Aaron's  sons  de- 
livered unto  him  the  blood,  and  he  sprinkled  it 

13  upon  the  altar  round  about.  And  they  delivered 
the  burnt  offering  unto  him,  piece  by  piece,  and 
the  head  :  and  he  burnt  them  upon  the  altar. 

14  And  he  washed  the  inwards  and  the  legs,  and 
burnt  them  upon  the  burnt  offering  on  the  altar. 


ritual,  and  the  repetition  through  the  seven 
days  of  all  the  ritual  of  the  first.  The  feast  dif- 
fered from  the  ordinary  peace  offering  feast  in 
being  restricted  to  the  priests  and  in  allowing 
none  except  unleavened  bread.  It  was  accord- 
ing to  the  command  in  Exod.  29 :  35-37  that  this 
solemn  ceremony  was  repeated  for  seven  days. 
During  all  this  time  Aaron  and  his  sons  did  not 
depart  from  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting  to 
engage  in  any  secular  employment. 


Chap.  9.  1-24.  Aaron  and  his  sons  solemnly 
enter  upo7i  office.  Having  gone  through  the  eight 
days  of  consecration,  they  are  now  to  begin  form- 
ally the  routine  duties  of  the  priesthood.  Always 
first  comes  the  offering  for  himself,  beginning 
with  the  sin  offering,  thus  acknowledging  before 
the  people  his  own  infirmity.  His  own  victim 
was  a  bull  calf,  an  offering  of  less  dignity  than 
the  bullock  (s :  i4),  which  he  had  offered  every 
day  for  a  sin  offering  during  his  consecration, 


Ch.  IX.] 


LEVITICUS 


45 


15  And  he  brought  the  people's  offering,  and 
took  the  goat,  wliicli  ^vas  the  sin  oft'ering  for  tlie 
people,  and  slew  it,  and  otiered  it  for  sin,  us  the 
first. 

16  And  he  brought  the  burnt  offering,  and  olYered 
it  according  to  the  manner. 

17  And  he  brought  the  meat  offering,  and  took 
an  handful  thereof,  and  burnt  it  upon  the  altar, 
beside  the  burnt  sacrifice  of  the  morning. 

18  He  slew  also  the  bullock  and  the  ram  for  a 
sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  which  was  for  the  peo- 
ple :  and  Aaron's  sons  presented  unto  him  the 
blood,  which  he  sprinkled  upon  the  altar  round 
about, 

19  And  the  fat  of  the  bullock  and  of  the  ram,  the 
rump,  and  that  which  covereth  the  inwards,  and 
the  kidneys,  and  the  caul  above  the  liver : 

20  And  "they  put  the  fat  upon  the  breasts,  and  he 
burnt  the  fat  upon  the  altar : 

21  And  the  breasts  and  the  right  shoulder  Aaron 
waved  for  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord  ;  as 
Moses  commanded. 

22  And  Aaron  lifted  up  his  hand  toward  the  peo- 
ple, and  blessed  them,  and  came  down  from  olTer- 
ing  of  the  sin  offering,  and  the  burnt  offering,  and 
peace  offerings. 

23  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  into  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation,  and  came  out  and  blessed  the 
people :  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto 
all  the  people. 

24  And  there  came  a  fire  out  from  before  the 
Lord,  and  consumed  upon  the  altar  the  burnt  offer- 
ing and  the  fat:  luhich  when  all  the  people  saw, 
they  shouted,  and  fell  on  their  faces. 


15  And  hepresented  the  people's  oblation,  and  took 
the  goat  of  the  sin  offering  which  was  for  the 
people,  and  slew  it,  and  offered  it  for  sin,  as  ilie 

16  hrst.     And  he  presented  the  burnt  offering,  and 

17  offered  it  accortling  to  the  ordinance.  And  he 
presented  the  meal  offering,  and  filled  his  hand 
therefrom,  and  burnt  it  upon  the  altar,  besides 

18  the  burnt  offering  of  the  morning.  He  slew  also 
the  ox  and  the  ram,  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ings, which  was  for  the  people:  and  Aaron's 
sons  delivered  unto  him  the  blood,  and  hesprin- 

19  kled  it  upon  the  altar  round  about,  and  the  fat 
of  the  ox  ;  and  of  the  ram,  the  fat  tail,  and  that 
which  covereth  the  inwards,  and  the  kidnevs, 

20  and  the  caul  of  the  liver:  and  they  put  the  fat 
upon  the  breasts,  and  he  burnt  the'fat  upon  tlie 

21  altar:  and  the  breasts  and  the  right  thigh  Aaron 
waved  for  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord  ;  as 

22  Moses  commanded.  And  Aaron  lifted  up  his 
hands  toward  the  people,  and  blessed  them ; 
and  he  came  down  from  offering  the  sin  offering, 
and  the  burnt  offering,  and  the  peace  offerings. 

23  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  into  the  tent  of 
meeting,  and  came  out,  and  blessed  the  people : 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  all  the 

24  people.  And  there  came  f(jrth  fire  from  before 
the  Lord,  and  consumed  upon  the  altar  the 
burnt  offering  and  the  fat:  and  when  all  the 
people  saw  it,  they  shouted  and  fell  on  their 
faces. 


or  than  the  young  bullock  (* :  3)  which  was  le- 
quired  of  the  anointed  priest  for  a  sin  ofi'ering 
in  the  case  of  specific  transgression.  It  served, 
however,  to  keep  up  the  indispensable  habit  of 
always  acknowledging  the  priest's  own  sins ; 
and  this  habit  impressed  the  author  of  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Hebrews  with  the  contrast  of  the  im- 
perfect human  priest  to  the  Christ  who  offered 
himself  once  for  all  (Heb.  5  :  3 ;  7  :  27,  28).  He  was 
also  to  sacrifice  a  ram  for  a  burnt  offering,  while 
of  the  people  he  was  to  require  a  shaggy  he-goat 
for  a  sin  offering,  the  same  kind  of  victim  as 
was  required  of  a  ruler  (*  =  23)  in  the  ease  of 
specific  transgression,  and  a  calf  and  a  lamb  for 
burnt  offerings.  For  the  people  he  was  also  to 
sacrifice  an  ox  and  a  ram  for  peace  offerings, 
the  peace  offerings  for  himself  being  omitted,  as 
his  whole  seven  days'  service  of  filling  or  conse- 
cration had  been  of  the  nature  of  a  peace  offering. 
When  the  priest  was  once  consecrated,  indeed, 
we  should  hardly  look  for  public  peace  offer- 
ings on  his  part,  as  these  were  more  properly 
offerings  of  the  people  for  the  use  of  the  priests ; 
and  the  consecration  of  these  ofierings  to  God 
for  the  use  of  his  representatives  was  indicated 
by  the  ceremony  of  waving  (see  ver.  21 ;  auo  on  7  : 
28-34).  The  people  were  also  to  provide  a  rmn- 
chah  or  meal  offering  mingled  with  oil.  By 
the  announcement  of  Moses  the  people  Avere 
led  to  expect  some  appearance  of  the  glory  of 
Jehovah. 
The    offerings   were    made,    in    their   order, 


according  to  the  ritual  already  i^rescribed,  the 
sons  of  Aaron  performing  only  the  part  of  at- 
tendants to  deliver  to  their  father  the  blood 
(ver.  9,  12,  18)  and  the  pieces  of  the  burnt  offering 
(ver.  13).  It  is  to  be  obscrvcd  (ver.  9)  that  Aaron 
only  put  the  blood  on  the  brazen  altar  and  did 
not  carry  it  into  the  inner  sanctuary  according 
to  the  ordinary  directions  for  the  sin  offering 
for  the  higli  priest  and  for  the  people  (* :  5-7, 
16-18).  This  was  perhaps  because  he  had  never 
yet  entered  the  sanctuarj^  as  consecrated  high 
priest. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  sacrifice  Aaron  per- 
formed the  act  of  a  fully  consecrated  priest  in 
blessing  the  people.  This  act,  which  in  Deu- 
teronomy and  the  priest  code  appears  to  be  the 
characteristic  prerogative  of  the  priest  (Deut. 
10  :  8 ;  Num.  6  :  23),  was  performed  by  David  (2  Sam. 
6:18)  and  Solomon  (1  Kings  8  :  55).  As  Aaron 
came  down  from  the  high  platform  of  the  brazen 
altar  he  and  Moses  for  the  first  time  entered  the 
tent  of  meeting,  and  as  they  came  out  the  glory 
of  Jehovah  appeared  to  the  congregation.  The 
issue  of  fire  from  Jehovah  (ver.  24)  to  consume 
the  sacrifice  can  hardly  have  been  the  first  kin- 
dling of  the  sacred  fire  which,  according  to 
Jewish  tradition,  was  never  allowed  to  go  out 
until  the  captivity,  for  there  had  been  sacrifices 
offered  all  through  the  seven  days  of  the  conse- 
cration. It  was  pro])ably  a  special  manifes- 
tation of  the  glory  of  .Tehovah,  not  in  that  it 
now  appeared  for  the  first  time,  but  in  that  it 


46 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  X. 


CHAPTER    X 


1  AND  Nadab  and  Abihu,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  took 
either  of  ttiein  his  censer,  and  put  tire  therein,  and 
put  incense  thereon,  and  olYered  strange  tire  before 
the  Lord,  which  he  commanded  them  not. 

2  And  there  went  out  lire  from  the  Lord,  and 
devoured  them,  and  tiiey  died  before  the  Lord. 

3  Tlien  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  This  is  it  that  the 
Lord  spiilie,  saying,  1  will  be  sanctified  in  them 
that  come  nigh  me,  and  before  all  the  people  1  will 
beglorilied.     And  Aaron  held  his  peace. 

4  And  Moses  called  Mishael  and  Elzaphan,  the 
sons  of  Uzziel  the  uncle  of  Aaron,  and  said  unto 
them.  Come  near,  carry  your  brethren  from  before 
the  sanctuary  out  of  the  camp. 

5  So  they  went  near,  and  carried  them  iu  their 
coats  out  of  the  camp  ;  as  Moses  had  said. 

6  And  Moses  said  unto  Aanni,  and  unto  Eleazar 
and  unto  Itliamar,  his  sons.  Uncover  not  your 
heads,  neither  rend  your  clothes  ;  lest  ye  die,  and 


1  AND  Nadab  and  Abihu,  the  sons  of  Aaron, 
took  each  of  them  his  censer,  and  put  fire  therein, 
and  laid  incense  thereon,  and  offered  strange 
fire  before  the  Lord,  which  he   had    not  com- 

2  mauded  them.  And  there  came  foith  fire  from 
before  the  Lord,  and  devoured  them,  and  they 

3  died  before  the  Lord.  Then  Moses  said  unto 
Aaron,  This  is  it  that  the  Lord  spake,  saying,  I 
will  be  sanctified  in  them  that  come  nigh  me, 
and  before  all  the  people  I  will  be  glorified. 

4  And  Aaron  held  his  peace.  And  Moses  called 
Mishael  and  Elzaphan,  the  sons  of  Uzziel  the 
uncle  of  Aaron,  and  said  unto  them.  Draw  near, 
carry  your  brethren  fvoui  before  the  sanctuary 

5  out  of  the  camp.  So  they  drew  near,  and  carried 
them  in  their  coats  out  of  the  camp  ;  as  Moses 

6  had  said.  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  and 
unto  Eleazar  and  untolthamar,  his  sons,  I>et  not 
the  liair  of  your  heads  go  loose,  neither  rend 


suddenly  consumed  the  victim,  as  on  other  oc- 
casions when  the  divine  favor  was  manifested 

(see  Judg.  6  :  21  ;  13  :  19,  20  ;  1  Kiugs  18  :  38  ;  1  Chrou.  21  :  26). 


Chap.  10.  1-7.  Nadab  and  Abihu  pun- 
ished for  offering  strange  fire — the  priests  for- 
bidden to  7nournfor  them.  1.  We  have  not  the 
data  for  knowing  exactly  what  was  the  act 
which  is  here  termed  ottered  strange  fire, 
but  a  grouping  of  the  suggestive  circum- 
stances accompanying  the  event  may  help  us 
to  conjecture  something  of  the  mental  state 
of  the  young  men  and  of  the  form  which  their 
rash  act  would  be  likely  to  take.  They  were 
the  elder  sons  of  Aaron  (Exod.  e  :  23)  and  had 
been  specially  privileged  when  Moses  went  up 
into  the  mount  (Exod.  24  :  1,  2)^  though,  as  they 
were  commanded  on  that  occasion  to  "wor- 
ship afar  off,''  ^^^ey  may  have  been  exalted  in- 
to a  feeling  of  exceptional  familiarity  with 
divine  things  without  that  full  awe  and  humility 
of  the  divine  fellowship  which  was  vouchsafed 
to  Moses.  Of  this  strange  fire  the  first  mention 
indicates  that  it  is  not  so  much  forbidden  as 
tinaufhorized,  or  not  commanded  (ver.  1). 
The  account  is  followed  by  a  prohibition  of  the 
use  of  intoxicants  by  the  priests  when  on  duty 
(ver.  8,  9)j  froui  wliicli  the  inference  is  not  impos- 
sible that  the  young  men  may  have  been  at 
least  in  that  excitable  and  animated  state  which 
follows  even  the  moderate  use  of  wine.  It  is  to 
be  observed  too,  that  the  legislation  regarding 
the  Day  of  Atonement  in  which  the  privilege 
of  entering  the  holy  place  is  restricted  to  the 
high  priest  once  a  year  follows  as  an  immediate 
sequence  upon  their  death,  as  if  on  that  occasion 
some  of  the  sanctities  had  been  invaded  (16  : 1, 2). 
3.  But  tlie  most  suggestive  passage  is  Moses'  ex- 
planation of  this  act  of  judgment  (^er.  3)^  in 
wliich  he  asserts  that  the  Lord  said,  I  will  be 
sanctified  in  tliem  that  come  nigh  me, 


and  before  all  the  people  I  Avill  be  glo- 
rified, as  if  the  glory  of  Jehovah  had  not 
been  made  sufticiently  prominent  in  the  young 
men's  conduct.  From  all  of  which  we  may 
gather  that  when  the  young  men  sjiw  the  glory 
which  was  the  climax  of  their  days  of  consecra- 
tion (9  :  23, 24)  they  became  intensely  excited, 
being  assisted  perhaps  by  the  wine  in  which 
they  had  indulged,  and  thought  to  enhance  the 
glory  of  the  occasion  by  appearing  as  chief 
hierophants  in  a  spectacular  scene  in  which  the 
Lord  would  be  honored  with  incense,  thus  mis- 
taking the  proud  and  meaningless  functioning 
in  a  solemn  display  for  a  genuine  act  of  worship 
to  Jehovah.  In  their  eagerness  they  had  per- 
haps become  irreverent  and  approached  too  near 
the  awful  holiness  of  the  inner  sanctuary  ;  they 
had  oflered  their  incense  at  a  time  and  in  a 
manner  unknown  to  the  careful  regulations  of 
the  law,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  fire  may  have 
been  "strange"  in  that  it  was  not  taken  from 
the  altar  where  it  had  so  recently  been  lighted 
directly  from  Jehovah,  but  had  been  taken  from 
some  of  the  fires  used  for  boiling  the  sacrificial 
flesh.  The  act  therefore  so  signally  punislied 
was  not  simply  an  ignorant  overstepping  of 
regulations  in  an  excess  of  zeal,  but  an  act 
of  presumptuous  fiimiliarity  and  proud  self- 
exaltation. 

The  relationship  of  Uzziel  and  of  Mishael  and 
Elzaphan  to  Aaron  is  also  given  in  Exod.  6:  18, 
22.  They  were  perhaps  the  nearest  relatives  of 
the  stricken  men  who  were  not  priests.  It  has 
been  conjectured  that  these  were  the  men  who 
were  incapacitated  bj'^  contact  with  a  dead  body 
for  keeping  the  Passover  on  the  fourteenth  day 
of  Nisan,  in  the  second  year  of  the  exodus,  and 
for  whose  benefit  the  so-called  "  Little  Passover  " 
was  instituted  (see  Num.  9  :  6,  9-14).  As  for  Aaron 
and  his  sons,  they  were  not  to  let  the  hair  of 
their  heads  go  loose  nor  to  rend  their  clothes 


Ch.  X.] 


LEVITICUS 


47 


lest  wrath  come  upon  all  the  people  :  but  let  your 
brethren,  the  whole  htHise  of  Ihruel,  bewail  the 
burning  whieli  the  Lord  hath  kindled. 

7  And  ye  shall  not  go  out  from  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  lest  ye  die  :  for  the 
anointing  oil  of  the  Lord  is  upon  you.  And  they 
did  according  to  the  word  of  Moses. 

8  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  saying, 

9  Do  not  drink  wine  nor  strong  drink,  thou,  nor 
tliy  sons  with  thee,  when  ye  go  into  the  tabernacle 
nf  "the  congregation,  lest  ye  die  :  it  shall  be  a  statute 
for  ever  throughout  your  generations  : 

10  And  that  ye  may  put  difference  between  holy 
and  unholy,  and  between  unclean  and  clean  ; 


your  clothes;  that  ye  die  not,  and  that  he  be  not 
wroth  with  all  the  congregation  :  but  let  your 
Ijrethren,  the  wiiole  house  of  Israel,  bewail'  the 

7  burning  which  the  Lord  hath  kindled.  And  ye 
shall  not  go  out  from  the  door  of  the  tent  of 
meeting,  lest  ye  die  :  for  the  anointing  oil  of  the 
Lord  is  upon  you.  And  they  did  according  to 
the  word  of  Moses. 

8  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Aaron,    saying, 

9  Drink  no  wine  nor  strong  drink,  thou,  nor  thy 
sons  with  thee,  when  ye  go  into  the  tent  of 
meeting,  that  ye  die  not :  it  shall  be  a  statute  for 

10  ever  throughout  your  generations :  and  that  ye 
may  put  difference  between  the  holy  and  the 
common,   and   between  the  unclean    and    tlie 


lest  they  should  seem  rebellious  against  the 
dealings  of  Jehovah.  As  priests  they  were  to 
maintain  the  honor  of  Jehovah  in  all  his  ways 
and  so  always  to  be  found  ranged  on  his  side. 
The  people,  however,  were  permitted  to  bewail 
the  burning  which  Jehovah  had  kindled. 

8-11.  Priests  forbidden  to  drink  ivine  while 
officiating.  Observe  that  the  legislation  of  this 
paragraph  is  represented  as  given  by  Jehovah 
directly  to  Aaron.  The  term  strong  drink  is 
used  to  designate  any  kind  of  strong  beverage 
except  wine  made  from  the  grape.  The  Hebrews 
applied  the  term  to  any  drink  prepared  from 
wheat,  barley,  millet,  the  juice  of  apples  or  dates. 
There  is  no  direct  evidence  that  the  process  of 
distillation  was  known  among  the  Hebrews. 

There  are  in  other  parts  of  Scripture  occa- 
sional mentions  of  religious  feeling  in  connec- 
tion with  that  of  intoxication  so  suggestively 
introduced  that  it  seems  not  altogether  fanciful 
to  note  that  perhaps  the  same  juxtaposition 
occurs  here.  When  the  apostles  after  a  pro- 
longed period  of  prayer  suddenly  and  for  the 
first  time  experienced  the  ecstatic  gift  of  tongues 
their  mental  exaltation  was  ascribed  by  some 
to  drunkenness  (Acta  2  13),  as  if  there  were  some 
similarity  on  which  to  base  the  comparison. 
Paul  exhorts  the  Ephesians  to  "be  not  drunk 
with  wine  .  .  .  but  be  filled  with  the  Spirit  " 
(Eph.  5  :  i8)j  as  if  at  least  the  one  suggested  the 
other  to  his  mind.  The  sons  of  Aaron  are  pun- 
i.shed  for  offering  strange  fire,  and  in  immediate 
connection  with  the  act  of  divine  judgment  is 
given  an  interdiction  of  wine  to  priests  on  duty. 
Note  too,  that  an  object  of  the  prohibition  is 
that  the  distinction  between  the  sacred  and  the 
secular  may  be  kept  clear.  It  seems  as  if  the 
ci-ime  of  the  young  men  so  signally  punished 
must  have  been  something  more  than  a  mere 
technical  lapse  in  correctness  of  procedure.  The 
strange  fire  was  at  least  typical  of,  if  not  actually 
associated  with,  spurious  religious  feeling.  Men- 
tal exaltation  amounting  to  ecstasy  has  always 
been,  valued  in  religion,  and  if  these  rash  cele- 
brants had  a  sufficiently  unethical  conception 


of  religion  to  think  that  such  ecstasy,  even 
when  produced  by  wine,  was  pleasing  to  God, 
they  were  only  on  the  same  plane  of  thought 
with  those  conceptions  which  produced  the  rites 
of  Dionysus  and  of  corresponding  deities  in 
other  nations.  If  the  origin  of  their  excitement 
was  so  palpable  to  the  people  that  the  influence 
of  the  whole  scene  would  be,  as  in  heathen  re- 
ligions, to  exalt  drunkenness  as  an  ally  to  relig- 
ion, the  stern  lesson  was  not  incommensurate 
with  the  importance  of  the  issue.  The  men 
were  confusing  the  sacred  and  the  profane. 
They  were  interposing  a  fatal  hindrance  to  that 
emphasis  of  the  ethical  nature  of  religion  which 
it  was  the  genius  of  Hebrew  cultus  as  well  as 
prophecy  to  guard  and  foster. 

The  dignity  and  decorum  of  the  priesthood 
which  their  sobriety  was  to  help  to  preserve, 
was  to  seek,  for  its  cherished  effect  on  the  peo- 
ple, the  maintaining  of  the  distinction  between 
holy  and  common,  between  unclean  and  clean. 
This  separating  of  the  sacred  from  the  secular  is 
what  determines  the  whole  spirit  and  motive  of 
ceremonial  religion.  It  is  given  as  a  reason  for 
the  distinction  of  animals  allowed  for  food  (n  = 
4T),  and  it  is  frequently  urged  in  the  teaching  of 
Ezekiel,  whose  spirit  has  so  much  in  common 
with  this  priestly  legislation  (Ezek.  22  :  26;  42  :  20 ; 
44 .-  23).  That  prophet,  indeed,  with  this  motive, 
makes  this  same  prohibition  of  wine  for  priests 
(Ezek  44  :  21,  23).  This  characteristic  of  cere- 
monial religion  has  been  referred  to  in  the 
comments  on  chap.  1.  It  is  the  function  of  the 
priest  to  elaborate  religion  as  a  distinctive 
thing,  and  to  keep  it  pure  and  conspicuous  by 
its  isolation  from  common  life.  His  religion  is 
not  the  whole  of  life,  nor  does  it  seek  to  be  ;  it  is 
the  sacred  side  of  life.  Hence  it  develops  its 
sacred  places,  sacred  days,  sacred  observances, 
sacred  objects.  One  who  is  penetrated  with  the 
feeling  of  this  aspect  of  religion  is  rightly 
shocked  at  all  careless  invasion  of  the  domain 
of  the  holy  by  temporal  interests  and  strivings. 
Such  a  feeling  made  our  Lord  indignant  when 
he  found  the  temple  area  crowded  with   the 


48 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  X. 


11  And  that  ye  may  teach  the  children  of  Israel 
all  the  statutes  which  the  Lord  hath  spoken  unto 
them  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

12  And  Moses  spake  unto  Aaron,  and  unto  Eleazar 
and  unto  Ithamar,  his  sons  that  were  left,  Take  the 
meat  offering  that  remalneth  of  the  offerings  of  the 
Lord  made  by  fire,  and  eat  it  without  leaven  beside 
the  altar  :  for  it  is  most  holy  : 

13  And  ye  shall  eat  it  in  the  holy  place,  because 
it  is  thy  due,  and  thy  sons'  due,  of  the  sacrifices  of 
the  Lord  made  by  fire:  for  so  I  am  commanded. 


11  clean ;  and  that  ye  may  teach  the  children  of 
Israel  all  the  statutes  which  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  unto  them  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

12  And  Moses  spake  unto  Aaron,  and  unto  Elea- 
zar and  unto  Ithamar,  his  sons  that  were  left, 
Take  the  meal  offering  that  remaineth  of  the 
ort'erings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire,  and  eat  it 
without  leaven  beside  the  altar :  for  it  is  most 

13  holy :  and  ye  shall  eat  it  in  a  holy  place,  be- 
cause it  is  thy  due,  and  thy  sons'  due,  of  tlie 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire  :  for  so  1  am 


activities  of  commerce.  It  is  necessary  that  re- 
ligion sho-uld  thus  have  its  separate  places  and 
times  and  solemn  practices,  that  it  may  have  a 
footing  in  the  world,  a  fulcrum  on  which  to  rest 
its  lever  for  the  uplifting  of  humanity.  But 
when  this  side  of  religion  is  cultivated  exclu- 
sively, its  isolation  and  orderly  performance  be- 
comes an  end  in  itself.  Religion  becomes  the 
separate  calling  of  the  clergy,  rather  than  a 
life  for  every  one,  and  the  man  of  worldly  oc- 
cupation gets  the  benefit  of  it  only  through  the 
momentary  magic  of  its  sacraments.  When 
men  have  performed  their  church  duties  they 
hav^e  discharged  their  obligations  toward  God, 
and  the  secular  life  is  simply  unrelated  to  him. 
This  is  the  danger  of  religion  founded  solely  on 
worship. 

On  the  other  hand  the  function  of  the  proi^het 
is  to  seek  to  make  the  motive  and  the  strength 
of  religion  pervade  all  life.  Besides  elaborating 
itself  and  guarding  its  purity  as  a  system  of  wor- 
ship, religion  must  also  enter  the  world  as  a 
system  of  righteousness.  The  sacred  must  per- 
vade the  secular.  This  was  the  aim  of  the 
prophets;  they  desired  to  make  religion  not 
only  a  sacred  thing  but  a  leaven.  This  aim  was 
carried  out  still  more  extensively  by  Christian- 
ity, for  Christianity  was  the  culmination  of  He- 
brew prophecy  rather  than  of  the  Hebrew  cul- 
tus.  It  was  this  tendency  to  diffuse  and  even 
dissipate  the  sacred  in  the  interest  of  its  effect- 
iveness— to  put  it  into  the  ground  to  die  like  a 
seed  that  it  might  bring  forth  fruit — which  made 
the  priestly  interest  and  the  temple  interest  in- 
stinctively feel  that  Christianity  was  its  enemy 

(Matt.    26   :   61  ;     Acts  6  :  13,    U).       It    is    bccaUSC    the 

Judaism  of  the  present  time  is  not  sufficiently 
in  touch  witli  the  prophetic  side  of  religion  that 
it  still  lingers  in  the  sej)arations  and  exclusions 
of  the  spiritual  life,  even  though  its  temple  rit- 
ual has  passed  away.  A  rabbi  of  the  last  end  of 
the  nineteenth  century  recently  summarized  the 
moderji  Jewisli  belief  in  a  creed  of  ten  articles, 
the  third  of  which  is:  "I  believe  in  separating 
the  sacred  from  the  secular." 

The  teachings  of  Jesus  and  of  the  apostles,  as 
already  said,  seem  to  indicate  that  the  distinction 
of  sacred  and  secular  is  not  eternal.    John  saw 


no  temple  in  heaven.  But  this  necessity  for  the 
separation  of  religion  from  common  life,  like 
the  rest  of  the  law,  will  not  pass  away  till  all  be 
fulfilled.  While  we  are  hedged  about  by  the 
earthly  necessity  of  labor,  we  must  strenuously 
rescue  and  preserve  one-seventh  of  our  time  for 
sacred  rest.  Wliile  the  activities  of  this  world 
are  still  so  unpervaded  with  divine  motive  that 
they  press  upon  us  to  make  us  forget  God,  there 
must  be  some  special  divine  service  so  separate 
from  the  world  as  to  keep  us  reminded  of  his 
holiness.  The  world  cannot  dispense  wuth  a  re- 
ligion of  high  enough  unworldliness  to  make  it 
conspicuous  until  that  perfect  time  when  all  the 
common  activity  shall  be  pervaded  with  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  the  sacrednessof  the  regener- 
ate secular  life  shall  be  wholly  manifest  in  its 
spirit  and  motive  rather  than  in  its  form. 

12-20.  The  eating  part  of  the  consecraiion 
ceremonial.  The  part  of  this  consecration  cere- 
monial which  was  likely  to  come  up  to  the  pre- 
scribed mark  with  most  difficulty  was  the 
priests'  partaking  of  the  portions  of  the  sacrifice 
which  were  to  be  eaten  ;  and  that  because  in  the 
dreadful  judgment  upon  Nadab  and  Abihu  the 
man  and  father  in  Aaron,  underneath  the  priest, 
had  experienced  a  great  shock ;  and  there 
would  not  be  much  zest  for  eating.  The  austere 
Moses,  who  would  elevate  the  priesthood  above 
all  natural  weakness,  was  especially  active  as 
soon  as  that  judgment  had  fallen,  to  prevent  any 
letting  down  from  the  high  key  in  which  the 
priests'  dignity  and  duty  had  been  set.  He  was 
very  prompt  to  forbid  any  outward  manifestation 
of  grief  (ver.  6),  and  now  he  is  particularly  watch- 
ful that  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  by  actual  eating 
form  the  precedent  of  claiming  their  perquisites 
(ver.  12-15),  and  fulfill  to  the  letter  their  duties 
(ver.  16-18),  They  must  not  only  subsist  by  the 
altar,  but  they  must  eat,  whether  they  liave  any 
appetite  or  not.  A  higher  degree  of  sanctity 
seems  to  be  given  to  the  meal  offering  than  to 
the  people's  peace  offerings.  What  remains  of 
the  meal  offering  from  the  fire  offerings  of  Je- 
hovah is  called  holy  of  holies,  or  most  holy  (ver. 
12),  and  it  is  to  be  eaten  by  Aaron  and  his  sons 
in  a  holy  place ;  while  the  priests'  portion  of  the 
peace  offerings  was  to  be  eaten  by  Aaron  and 


Ch.  xi] 


LEVITICUb 


49 


14  And  the  wave  breast  and  heave  shoulder  shall 
ye  eat  in  a  clean  place ;  tliou,  and  thy  sous,  and 
thy  daughters  with  tliee  :  for  they  he  tliy  due,  and 
thy  sons'  due,  which  are  given  out  of  the  sacrifices 
of  peace  offerings  of  the  cliildren  of  Israel. 

15  The  heave  shoulder  and  the  wave  breast  shall 
they  bring  with  the  offerings  made  by  fire  of  the 
fat,  to  wave  it  for  a  wave  ofTering  before  the  Lord  ; 
and  it  shall  be  thine,  and  thy  sons'  with  thee,  by  a 
statute  for  ever ;  as  the  Lord  hath  commanded. 

16  And  Moses  diligently  sought  the  goat  of  the 
sin  offering,  and,  behold,  it  was  burnt :  and  he  was 
angry  with  Eleazar  and  Ithamar,  the  sous  of  Aaron 
which  xoere  left  alive,  saying, 

17  Wherefore  have  ye  not  eaten  the  sin  offering 
in  the  holy  place,  seeing  it  is  most  holy,  and  God 
hath  given  it  you  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  con- 
gregation, to  make  atonement  for  them  before  the 
Lord? 

18  Behold,  the  blood  of  it  was  not  brought  in 
within  the  holy  ptace.-  ye  should  indeed  have  eaten 
it  in  the  holy  place,  as  I  commanded. 

19  And  Aaron  said  unto  Moses,  Behold,  this  day 
have  they  offered  their  sin  offering  and  their  burnt 
offering  before  the  Lord  ;  and  such  things  have 
befallen  me :  and  if  I  had  eaten  the  sin  offering  to 
day,  should  it  have  been  accepted  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord  ? 

20  And  when  Moses  heard  that,  he  was  content. 


14  commanded.  And  the  wave  breast  and  the 
heave  thigh  shall  ye  eat  in  a  clean  place  ;  thou, 
and  thy  sons,  and  thy  daughters  with  thee  :  for 
they  are  given  as  thy  due,  and  thy  sons'  due, 
out  of  the  sacrifices  of  the  peace  offerings  of  the 

15  children  of  Israel.  The  heave  thigh  and  the 
wave  breast  shall  they  bring  with  the  offerings 
made  by  fire  of  the  fat,  to  wave  it  for  a  wave 
offering  before  the  Lord  :  and  it  shall  be  thine, 
and  thy  sous'  with  thee,  as  a  due  for  ever ;  as 
the  Lord  hath  commanded. 

16  And  Moses  diligently  sought  the  goat  of  the  sin 
offering,  and,  behold,  it  was  burnt :  and  lie  was 
angry  with  Eleazar  and  with  Ithamar,  the  sons 

17  of  Aaron  that  were  left,  saying.  Wherefore  have 
ye  not  eaten  the  sin  offering  in  the  place  of  the 
sanctuary,  seeing  it  is  most  holy,  and  he  hath 
given  it  you  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  congre- 
gation, to  make  atonement  for  them  before  the 

18  Lord?  Behold,  the  blood  of  it  was  not  brought 
into  the  sanctuary  within  :  ye  should  certainly 
have  eaten  it  in  the  sanctuary,  as  I  commanded. 

19  And  Aaron  spake  unto  Moses,  Behold,  this  day 
have  they  offered  their  sin  offering  and  their 
burnt  offering  before  the  Lord  ;  and  there  have 
befallen  me  such  things  as  these  :  and  if  I  had 
eaten  the  sin  offering  to-day,  would  it  have  been 

20  well-pleasing  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord?  And 
when  Moses  heard  that,  it  was  well-pleasing 
in  his  sight. 


his  sons  and  his  daughters  in  a  clean  place 

(ver.  14). 

The  rule  had  been  made  that  no  sin  offering 
of  which  any  of  the  blood  had  been  brought 
into  the  sanctuary  to  make  atonement  in  the 
holy  place  should  be  eaten  (6  :  so)  ;  now  the  con- 
verse is  insisted  upon  by  the  lawgiver,  so  solic- 
itous for  the  integrity  of  his  system  and  so  jeal- 
ous of  natural  weakness,  that  where  the  blood  is 
not  brought  into  the  sanctuary  the  sin  offering 
shall  be  eaten.  But  on  looking  for  the  hairy- 
goat  of  the  people's  sin  offering  Moses  finds  it 
to  have  been  burnt;  and  he  is  angry  with 
Eleazar  and  Ithamar  for  not  eating  it  in  the 
holy  place.  The  theory  of  the  matter  was,  as 
Moses  felt  commanded,  that  such  sin  offerings 
by  being  officially  eaten  formally  incorporated 
the  sins  of  the  people  into  the  representatives  of 
God,  who  thus  bore  their  iniquities.  But  Aaron, 
who  had  been  silent  throughout  all  Moses'  stern 
moralizing  (ver.  3)  and  rigid  conducting,  now 
came  to  the  defense  of  his  own  and  his  sons' 
moderate  yielding  to  natural  affection.  After 
what  had  befallen  them  they  felt  hardly  worthy 
to  assume  the  people's  sins  as  immaculate  me- 
diators. Despite  the  rigid  letter  of  the  law, 
would  there  have  been  heart  enough  in  such  a 
performance  to  be  well-pleasing  in  the  sight  of 
Jehovah?  Is  not  the  mental  preparation  and 
sincerity  of  the  worshiper  of  some  consequence  as 
well  as  the  integrity  of  an  ordinance  ?  This  little 
touch  of  the  human  in  Aaron,  just  entering  on 
his  training  for  the  stern  self-repressions  of  the 
priesthood,  was  sufficient  to  give  Moses  the  hint 
that  sometimes  the  man  may  be  above  the  law. 


IV.  Laws  of  purification  and  atone- 
ment, chap.  11  to  16. 

We  come  now  to  the  part  of  the  Jewish  cere- 
monial regulations  which  has  had  probably  more 
influence  on  the  national  psychology  and  con- 
science than  any  other.  This  is  the  matter  of 
uncleanness  and  purification.  Beginning  with 
the  classification  of  animals  not  allowed  as  food, 
the  legislation  goes  on  to  the  subject  of  purifica- 
tion after  childbirth  and  of  impurity  from  secre- 
tions, to  the  exceptionally  serious  uncleanness  of 
leprosy,  with  its  diagnosis,  its  treatment,  the  pro- 
cedure in  reference  to  its  analogue  in  garments 
and  houses,  and  the  rites  connected  with  the  res- 
toration to  sanctuary  privileges  of  the  patient 
who  has  recovered ;  and  finally  culminates  with 
the  great  annual  Day  of  Atonement,  in  which 
the  whole  sanctuary  with  its  furniture  is  cere- 
monially cleansed  from  the  imperceptible  defile- 
ment which  it  has  contracted  by  the  services  of 
the  year.  In  this  section  the  regulations  in  regard 
to  uncleanness  are  made  tlie  more  special  topic  of 
discussion,  but  this  is  far  from  containing  the 
whole  treatment  of  the  subject.  It  is  repeatedly 
mentioned  all  through  the  priestly  legislation. 
The  thought  of  defilement  and  contamination 
from  without  seemed  to  dominate  the  whole  Jew- 
ish religious  consciousness,  and  it  has  had  more 
influence  than  any  other  in  making  and  keeping 
the  Jews  the  exceptional  and  separate  race  which 
they  are  to  this  day. 

Sin,  so  far  as  it  could  come  within  the  benefit 
of  expiation  at  all,  was  treated  as  a  defilement ; 
and  this  aspect  of  it  was  necessarily  more  physical 
than  ethical.     Perhaps  this  conception  of  sin  as 


D 


50 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XL 


a  defilement  was  the  only  one  which  could  make 
the  efficacy  of  the  expiatory  rites  thinkable  at 
all.  The  semi-physical  and  expiable  class  of 
sins,  thus  brought  under  the  cognizance  of  the 
priest,  came  to  have  an  enhanced  influence  in 
determining  men's  notions  of  the  relative  im- 
]>c)rtance  of  transgressions.  Under  the  influence 
uf  the  moral  law  and  of  growingly  spiritual 
conceptions  of  God,  religion  was  bound  to  grow 
more  ethical,  but  its  ethics  would  have,  so  to 
speak,  a  physical  cast,  and  would  cause  that  evil 
which  consisted  in  physical  defilement  to  have 
a  somewhat  overbalanced  importance.  The 
purely  physical  and  instinctive  aversions  with 
regard  to  food  which  had  grown  with  the  people 
from  the  earliest  times  were  formulated  as  a  part 
of  religion,  and  thus  were  put  in  the  way  of 
increasing  in  ethical  estimation  as  the  religion 
to  which  they  were  attached  grew  more  ethical. 
The  Jew  was  not  only  defiled  but  made  guilty 
by  accidental  contacts  and  lapses  which  origi- 
nally had  only  a  physical  significance. 

A  main  consideration  which  made  the  Jews 
especially  sensitive  to  the  dread  of  defilement 
was  their  consciousness  of  their  dignity  as  a  holy 
and  separate  people.  Their  world  mission  to 
be  holy  unto  Jehovah  was  given  in  the  earliest 
extant  legislation  as  the  motive  for  not  eating 
that  which  had  been  torn  by  beasts  (Exod.  22 :  3x). 
It  was  emphatically  urged  in  the  priest  code, 
especially  in  the  so-called  law  of  holiness,  as  the 
incentive,  not  only  for  ethical  uprightness  (i9 : 2, 
3;  20  :  6,  7),  but  for  such  strictucss  with  regard  to 
physical  uncleanness  as  is  contemplated  in  this 
section  (n  :  44,  45;  20  :  25, 26).  They  were  taught 
that  they  were  to  be  a  nation  of  priests,  and 
this  consciousness  of  a  priestly  dignity  engen- 
dered the  obligation  to  be  patterns  to  the  world 
of  a  priestly  immaculateness.  A  passion  for 
external  purity  was  thus  not  only  a  cause  but  a 
consequence  of  their  separateness  as  a  nation  ; 
and  when  through  their  extraordinary  political 
vicissitudes  they  were  singled  out  from  the 
nations  and  thrown  in  more  and  more  upon 
themselves,  the  purificatory  side  of  religion  and 
morals  seemed  to  dominate  their  enthusiasm 
more  and  more,  until  under  rabbinic  influence 
it  seemed  as  if  almost  the  whole  of  religious 
thought  summed  itself  up  in  the  consideration 
of  what  was  defiling  and  what  was  not. 

By  the  time  of  Christ  the  laborious  washings 
and  purifications  had  become  so  exacting  and 
characteristic  as  to  obtrude  themselves  on  the 
attention  in  every  picture  of  Jewish  domestic  or 
religious  life.  Our  Lord's  first  miracle  was 
wrought  on  material  that  chanced  to  be  at  hand 


"  after  the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews  " 
(John  2:6).  The  attempt  to  draw  John  the  Bap- 
tist into  a  rivalry  with  his  ]\Iaster  grew  out  of  a 
dispute  which  arose  between  some  of  his  disci- 
ples and  a  Jew  about  purifying  (Joim  3 :  25).  The 
first  whispers  of  antagonism  to  the  Saviour's 
work  in  Galilee  were  set  in  motion  because  the 
disciples  ate  their  food  with  "common"  hands 
(Mark  7 : 2,  5).  Mark  especially  sets  forth  the 
laboriousness  of  Pharisaic  customs  in  regard  to 
ablutions  (Mark  7 : 3, 4).  A  note  of  the  temporariness 
of  Jewish  religion,  to  New  Testament  writers, 
was  its  slavery  to  "  meats  and  drinks  and  divers 
washings"  (Heb.  9:io),  Paul  labored  to  free  his 
disciples  from  the  "touch  not,  taste  not,  handle 
not"  of  ceremonial  slavery  (Coi.  2  :  21)^  and  em- 
phasized the  spirituality  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
by  insisting  that  it  is  not  meat  and  drink,  but 
righteousness  and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost  (Rom.  14  :  17).  Evcu  Peter,  when  God  would 
teach  him  that  tlie  old  national  exelusiveness 
must  be  broken  di>wn  if  he  would  follow  the 
leadings  of  aggressive  Christianity,  had  to  be 
conquered  by  a  direct  attack  on  those  scruples 
with  regard  to  clean  and  unclean  animals  in 
which  his  prejudices  no  doubt  had  their  strong- 
hold  (Acts  10  :  12,  seq  ). 

In  dealing  with  that  universal  defect  of  the 
Judaism  of  his  day  our  Lord  implied  that  the 
whole  conception  of  defilement  had  built  itself 
up  on  a  fundamentally  erroneous  principle.  The 
Jewish  conscience  had  become  almost  exclusively 
sensitive  to  contamination  from  outside.  The 
primary  conception  of  moral  peril  was  that  it  is 
the  world  around  which  makes  men  evil.  But 
Jesus  set  forth  the  antagonistic  principle  in  a 
universal  thesis  which  is  no  less  than  revolu- 
tionary: "Not  that  which  entereth  into  the 
mouth  defileth  the  man  ;  but  that  which  pro- 
ceedeth  out  of  the  mouth,  this  defileth  the  man. 
.  .  .  The  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth 
come  forth  out  of  the  heart ;  and  they  defile  the 
man  "  (Matt.  15  :  11,  is).  Here  is  a  principle  worthy 
of  Him  who  contracted  not  defilement  from 
touching  the  leper,  but  communicated  purity. 
Life  and  purity  work  from  within  outward. 
Saving  religion  is  not  a  defensive  but  an  aggres- 
sive attitude.  It  is  not  the  business  of  the  god- 
like to  stand  still  and  keep  out  the  evil  by 
contamination-proof  precautions,  but  to  go  forth 
into  the  world  with  an  abounding  life  which 
shall  touch  but  expel  the  evil.  A  wonderful 
principle  this,  and  one  which,  in  the  face  of 
centuries  of  the  opposite  way  of  thinking,  no  one 
but  a  divine  being  could  have  had  the  strength 
to  assert;  though  when  once  the  principle  was 


Ch.  XL] 


LEVITICUS 


51 


CHAPTER    XI. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Mosgs  and  to  Aaron, 
saving  unto  them, 

i  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying, 
these  are  the  beasts  wliicli  ye  sliall  eat  among  all 
the  beasts  that  are  on  the  earth. 

3  Whatsoever  parteth  the  hoof,  and  is  cloven- 
footed,  and  cheweth  the  cud,  among  the  beasts, 
tliat  shall  ye  eat. 

4  Nevertheless  these  shall  ye  not  eat  of  them 
tluit  chew  the  cud,  or  of  them  that  divide  the 
hoof:  OS  the  camel,  because  he  cheweth  the  cud, 
but  divideth  not  the  hoof  ;  he  is  unclean  unto  you. 

.')  And  the  coney,  because  he  cheweth  the  cud, 
but  divideth  not  the  hoof  ;  he  is  unclean  unto  you. 

(>  And  the  liare,  because  he  cheweth  the  cud,  but 
divideth  not  the  hoof;  he  is  unclean  unto  you. 

7  And  the  swine,  though  he  divide  the  hoof,  and 
be  cloven  footed,  yet  he  cheweth  not  the  cud  ;  he 
is  unclean  to  you. 

8  Of  their  flesh  shall  ye  not  eat,  and  their  carcase 
shall  ye  not  touch  ;  they  are  unclean  to  you. 

9  These  shall  ye  eat  of  all  that  are  m  the  waters : 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  to  Aar- 

2  on,  saying  unto  them,  Spuak  unto  the  children  of 
Israel,  saying,  These  are  the  living  things  which 
ye  sliall  eat  among  all  the  beasts  that  are  on  the 

3  earth.  Whatsoever  parteth  the  hoof,  and  is 
clovenfooted,  and  cheweth  the  cud,  among  the 

4  beasts,  that  shall  ye  eat.  Nevertheless  these 
shall  ye  not  eat  of  them  that  chew  the  cud,  or 
of  them  that  part  the  hoof :  the  camel,  because 
he  cheweth  the  cud  but  parteth  not  the  hoof,  he 

6  is  unclean  unto  you.  And  the  coney,  because 
he  cheweth  the  cud  but  parteth  not  the  hoof, 

6  he  is  unclean  unto  you.  And  the  hare,  because 
she  cheweth  the  cud  but  parteth  not  the  hoof, 

7  she  is  unclean  unto  you.  And  the  swine,  i)e- 
cause  he  parteth  the  hoof,  and  is  clovenfooted, 
but  cheweth  not  the  cud,  he  is  unclean  unto 

8  you.  Of  their  flesh  ye  shall  not  eat,  and  their 
carcases  ye  shall  not  touch ;  they  are  unclean 
unto  you. 

9  These  shall  ye  eat  of  all  that  are  in  the  waters  : 


announced  an  enlightened  and  broad-minded 
Paul  could  so  far  follow  his  Lord  out  of  the 
bondage  of  mere  defensive  scruple  into  the 
aggressive  freedom  of  a  conquering  gospel  as  to 
teach  that  "every  creature  of  God  is  good,  and 
nothing  to  be  rejected,  if  it  be  received  with 
thanksgiving  "  (i  Tim.  i  -.  i). 

That  the  Jev.s  of  the  New  Testament  time, 
taking  their  start  from  these  priestly  regula- 
tions, came  gradually  to  form  their  religious  life 
on  the  very  opposite  of  the  true  principle,  how- 
ever, does  not  prove  that  the  ceremonial  laws 
enjoining  purity  were  merely  human  and  mis- 
leading. They  were  divine  and  right  in  their 
sphere.  They  were  the  most  effective  possible 
hold  on  the  conscience  of  their  time — a  con- 
science which  could  not  rise  above  the  defilement 
conception  of  sin.  They  engendered  a  careful- 
ness about  contracting  uncleanness  from  without 
which  is  an  indispensable  element  of  religion 
at  its  defensive  stage.  This  carefulness,  merely 
physical  at  fir.st,  was  a  parable  of  and  a  prepa- 
ration for  a  similar  carefulness  in  the  spiritual 
realm.  In  spiritual  things  it  is  as  important 
that  we  keep  evil  influences  from  invading  us 
from  without  as  that  we  mortify  the  impulses  to 
evil  which  proceed  from  within.  The  defensive 
duty  belongs  to  true  religion,  even  though  it  be 
true  religion  of  lower  intensity  than  the  life- 
imparting  aggressiveness  of  Christian  love.  The 
miscarriage  of  the  law  was  due  to  the  mechanical 
lifelessness  of  Jewish  thought.  The  fault  of  the 
Jews  was  over  estimation  and  idolatry  of  nega- 
tive purity.  Freedom  from  defilement  is  good 
and  needful,  worthy  indeed  of  divine  legislation, 
!)ut  it  cannot  impart  positive  life.  The  cere- 
monially clean  man  is  not  thereby  constituted  a 
good  man — he  is  only  a  man  who  is  not  infected 
with  a  particular  kind  of  badness.     The  only 


possible  positive  goodness  flows  from  a  heart  of 
love  within.  It  was  because  the  Jews,  immured 
in  their  proud  and  separate  defensiveness,  were 
seeking  to  derive  all  their  goodness  from  personal 
purity  that  they  fell  into  disparagement  before 
the  might  of  our  Lord's  positive  principle  of  life. 

Chap.  11,  Clean  and  unclean  animals. 
This  is  one  of  the  places  in  Leviticus  where 
Jehovah  speaks  to  Moses  and  Aaron  jointly. 
The  others  are  13  :  1 ;  15  :  1. 

1-8.  Qiiadnipeds.  A  very  ready  general  rule 
for  distinguishing  clean  and  unclean  quadru- 
peds is  given.  Only  those  that  part  the  hoof, 
so  as  to  be  completely  cloven-footed,  and  chew 
the  cud  are  to  be  eaten.  An  animal  with  one 
of  these  characteristics  without  the  other  could 
not  be  allow^ed  as  food,  as,  for  instance,  the 
camel,  who.se  foot  is  only  imperfectly  cleft 
though  he  is  a  ruminant;  the  coney,  or,  rather, 
hyrax  Syriacus,  and  the  hare,  which  are  here 
stated  to  be  ruminants,  and  aLso  the  swine, 
which  parts  the  hoof  but  does  not  bring  up  the 
cud.  The  hyrax  is  a  very  timid  gregarious 
pachyderm  living  among  the  rocks  (ps.  io4  :  is; 
Prov.  30 :  2fi),  It  is  uot  a  rumiuaut,  nor  is  the  hare, 
but  these  animals  have  a  habit  of  moving  the 
jaws  when  at  rest  as  if  chewing,  and  so  might 
easily  be  mistaken  for  ruminants.  Moses  is  not 
giving  a  scientific  description  of  these  animals, 
but  identifying  them  by  characteristics  familiar 
to  the  common  people.  The  pig  is  probably  pro- 
hibited on  account  of  its  dirty  habits  and  be- 
cause its  flesh,  particularly  in  warm  climates,  is 
very  generally  regarded  as  unwholesome.  The 
law  regarding  quadrupeds  is  given  in  Deu- 
teronomy in  a  somewhat  more  detailed  form 

(Deut.  U  :  4-8). 

9-12.  Aquatic  creatures.  In  regard  to  these 
creatures  also  a  very  distinct  general  principle 


52 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XI. 


whatsoever  hath  fins  and  scales  in  the  waters,  in 
the  seas,  and  in  ihe  rivers,  them  sliall  ye  eat. 

10  And  all  that  liave  not  fins  and  scales  in 
the  seas,  and  in  the  rivers,  of  all  that  move  in  the 
waters,  and  of  any  living  thing  which  is  in  the 
waters,  they  shall  be  an  abomination  unto  you  : 

11  They  shall  be  even  an  abomination  unto  you  ; 
ye  shall  not  eat  of  their  flesh,  but  ye  shall  have 
their  carcases  in  abomination. 

12  Whatsoever  hath  no  fins  nor  scales  in  the 
waters,  that  shall  be  an  abomination  unto  you. 

13  And  these  are  they  which  ye  shall  have  in 
abomination  among  the  fowls ;  they  shall  not 
be  eaten,  they  are  an  abomination  :  the  eagle,  and 
the  ossifrage,  and  the  ospray, 

14  And  the  vulture,  and  the  kite  after  his  kind  ; 

15  Every  raven  after  his  kind  ; 

16  And  the  owl,  and  the  nighthawk,  and  the 
cuckow,  and  the  hawk  after  his  kind, 

17  And  the  little  owl,  and  the  cormorant,  and 
the  great  owl, 

18  And  the  swan,  and  the  pelican,  and  the  gier 
eagle, 

19  And  the  stork,  the  heron  after  her  kind,  and 
the  lapwing,  and  the  bat. 

20  All  fowls  that  creep,  going  upon  all  four,  shall 
be  an  abomination  unto  you. 

21  Yet  these  may  ye  eat  of  every  flying  creeping 
thing  that  goeth  upon  all  four,  which  have  legs 
above  their  feet,  to  leap  withal  upon  the  earth  ; 

22  Eren  these  of  tliem  ye  may  eat ;  the  locust 
after  his  kind,  and  the  bald  locust  after  his  kind, 
and  the  beetle  after  his  kind,  and  the  grasshopper 
after  his  kind. 

23  But  all  other  flying  creeping  things,  which 
have  four  feet,  shall  be  an  abomination  unto  you. 

24  And  for  these  ye  shall  be  unclean  :  whosoever 
touches  the  carcase  of  them  shall  be  unclean  until 
the  even. 

25  And  whosoever  beareth  ought  of  the  carcase  of 
them  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until 
the  even. 


whatsoever  hath  fins  and  scales  in  the  waters, 
in  the  seas,  and  in  the  rivers,  them  shall  ye  eat. 

10  And  all  that  have  not  fins  and  scales  in  the  seas, 
and  in  the  rivers,  of  all  that  move  in  the  waters, 
and  of  all  the  living  creatures  that  are  in  tlie 

11  waters,  they  are  an  abomination  unto  you,  and 
they  shall  be  an  abomination  unto  you  ;  ye  shall 
n(jt  eat  of  their  flesh,  and  their  carcases  ye  shall 

12  have  in  abomination.  Whatsoever  hath  no  tins 
nor  scales  in  the  waters,  that  is  an  abomination 
unto  you. 

13  And  these  ye  shall  have  in  abomination  among 
the  fowls;  they  shall  not  be  eaten,  they  are 
an  abomination :  the  eagle,  and  the  gier  eagle, 

14  and  the  ospray;  and  the  kite,  and  the  falcon 

15  after    its  kind;    every    raven    alter    its    kind; 

16  and  the  ostrich,  and  the  night  hawk,  and  the 

17  seamew,  and  the  hawk  after  its  kind  ;  and  the 
little  owl,  and  the  cormorant,  and  thegreatowl  ; 

18  and  the  horned  owl,  and  the  pelican,  and  the 

19  vulture  ;  and  the  stork,  the  heron  after  its  kind, 
and  the  hoopoe,  and  tlie  bat. 

20  All  winged  creeping  things  that  go  upon  all 

21  four  are  an  abomination  unto  you.  Yet  these 
may  ye  eat  of  all  winged  creeping  things  that 
go  upon  all  four,  which  have  legs  above  their 

22  feet,  to  leap  withal  upon  the  earth  ;  even  these 
of  them  ye  may  eat;  the  locust  after  its  kind, 
and  the  bald  locust  its  kind,  and  tlie  cricket 
after  its   kind,    and   the  grasshopper  after    its 

23  kind.  But  all  winged  creeping  things,  which 
have  four  feet,  are  an  abomination  unto  you. 

24  And  by  these  ye  shall  become  unclean  :  who- 
soever toucheth  the  carcase  of  them  shall  be  un- 

25  clean  until  the  even  :  and  whosoever  beareth 
aught  of   the  carcase  of   them  shall  wash  his 


of  classification  is  possible.  Only  those  aquatic 
animals  which  have  fins  and  scales  are  allowed 
as  food. 

13-19.  Flyinq  creatures.  (1)  Birds.  No 
general  rule  for  distinguishing  unclean  from 
clean  birds  is  given,  but  only  a  list  of  twenty 
kinds  of  birds  that  are  not  to  be  eaten.  So  far 
as  identified,  these  are  all  birds  that  live  on 
animal  food.  In  the  extreme  difiiculty  of  iden- 
tifying the  species  that  are  designated  by  the 
Hebrew  names  some  hesitation  is  felt  in  append- 
ing a  revised  translation  of  the  list  as  found 
in  our  version  :  "  The  gritfin  vulture,  and  the 
bearded  vulture,  and  the  osprey ;  and  the  kite, 
and  the  falcon  after  its  kind  ;  every  raven  after 
its  kind ;  and  the  ostrich,  and  the  screech-owl, 
and  the  sea-mew,  and  the  haAvk  after  its  kind ; 
and  the  little  owl,  and  the  cormorant,  and  the 
great  owl ;  and  the  ibis,  and  the  pelican,  and 
the  carrion  vulture ;  and  the  stork,  and  the 
great  plover  after  its  kind,  and  the  hoopoe,  and 
the  bat."  In  calling  the  bat  a  bird  of  course 
the  popular  notion  is  followed.  20-23.  (2) 
Flying  insects.  The  Hebrew  expression  is, 
"all  swarming  things  with  wings,"  the  word, 
|*")K^,  sMrHz,  translated  in  our  English  version, 
creeping  things,  referring  to  their  swarming  or 


breeding  in  immense  numbers  rather  than  to 
their  mode  of  locomotion.  "  Going  upon  all 
four"  probably  means  going  with  the  body  in  a 
horizontal  position  like  a  quadruped,  the  phrase 
not  being  intended,  even  in  ver,  23,  to  limit 
strictly  the  number  of  feet,  which  with  many 
flying  insects  is  more  than  four.  Permission  is 
given  to  eat  such  flying  insects  as  have  distinctly 
defined  legs  for  leaping,  and  four  kinds  of  locusts 
are  specified.  We  have  no  means  for  identify- 
ing these  species,  and  the  English  translation  is 
pure  guesswork.  Locusts  are  still  eaten  by  the 
poor  among  many  Arab  tribes.  Along  with 
wild  honey  they  constituted  the  food  of  John 

the    Baptist   (Matt.  3:4). 

24-40.  On  the  pollution  caused  by  contact 
with  the  carcases  of  certain  animals.  This  sec- 
tion appears  to  be  of  a  difi'erent  order  from  the 
rest  of  the  chapter  in  that  it  describes  the  crea- 
tures which  are  not  only  not  to  be  eaten  but 
whose  carcases  are  not  to  be  touched,  and  also 
defines  the  purification  rendered  necessary  by 
defilement.  It  may  possibly  not  be  a  part  of  the 
original  draft  of  the  chapter,  as  its  peculiar  con- 
tents are  ignored  by  the  subscription  (ver.  46, 47). 

24-28.  Recapitulation,  Recapitulating  first 
the  quadrupeds  already  designated  as  not  to  be 


Ch.  XL] 


LEVITICUS 


53 


26  The  carcases  of  every  beast  which  divideth  the 
hoof,  aud  is  uut  cloveiifooted,  iiorcheweth  thecud, 
are  unclean  unto  you :  every  one  that  toucheth 
them  shall  be  unclean. 

27  And  whatsoever  goeth  upon  his  paws,  among 
all  manner  of  beasts  that  go  on  all  four,  those  are 
unclean  unto  you :  whoso  toucheth  their  carcase 
shall  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

28  And  he  that  beareth  the  carcase  of  them  shall 
wash  his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even  : 
they  are  unclean  unto  you. 

29  These  also  shall  be  unclean  unto  you  among 
the  creeping  things  that  creep  upon  the  earth  ;  the 
weasel,  and  the  mouse,  and  the  tortoise  alter  his 
kind, 

30  And  the  ferret,  and  the  chameleon,  and  tlie 
lizard,  and  tlie  snail,  and  the  mole. 

31  These  are  unclean  to  you  among  all  that  creep  : 
whosoever  doth  touch  them,  when  they  be  dead, 
sliall  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

32  And  upon  whatsoever  aiiy  of  them,  when  they 
are  dead,  doth  fall,  it  shall  be  unclean ;  whether 
it  be  any  vessel  of  wood,  or  raiment,  or  skin,  or 
sack,  whatsoever  vessel  it  be.  wherein  any  work  is 
done,  it  must  be  put  into  water,  and  it  shall  be 
unclean  until  the  even  ;  so  it  shall  be  cleansed. 

33  And  every  earthen  vessel,  whereinto  aiiy  of 
them  falleth,  whatsoever  is  in  it  shall  be  unclean  ; 
and  ye  shall  break  it. 

34  Of  all  meat  which  may  be  eaten,  that  on  which 
such  water  cometh  shall  be  unclean  :  and  all  drink 
that  may  be  drunk  in  every  such  vessel  shall  be 
unclean. 

35  And  every  thing  whereupon  any  part  of  their 
carcase  falleth  shall  be  unclean  ;  whether  it  be  oven, 
or  ranges  for  pots,  they  shall  be  broken  down  :  for 
they  are  unclean,  and  shall  be  unclean  unto  you. 

36  Nevertheless  a  fountain  or  pit,  wherein  there 
is  plenty  of  water,  shall  be  clean  :  but  that  which 
toucheth  their  carcase  shall  be  unclean. 

37  And  if  any  part  of  their  carcase  fall  upon  any 
sowing  seed  which  is  to  be  sown,  it  shall  be  clean. 

38  But  if  any  water  be  put  upon  the  seed,  and 
any  part  of  their  carcase  fall  thereon,  it  shall  be 
unclean  unto  you. 

39  And  if  any  beast,  of  which  ye  may  eat,  die ; 
he  that  touches  the  carcase  thereof  shall  be  unclean 
until  the  even. 

40  And  he  that  eateth  of  the  carcase  of  it  shall 
wash  his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even : 
he  also  that  beareth  the  carcase  of  it  shall  wash 
his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 


26  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even.  Every 
beast  which  parteth  the  hoof,  and  is  not  cloven- 
footed,  nor  cheweth  the  cud,  is  unclean  unto 
you  :  every  one  that  toucheth  them  shall  be  un- 

27  clean.  And  whatsoever  goetli  upon  its  paws, 
among  ail  beasts  that  go  on  all  four,  they  are 
unclean  unto  you :   whoso  toucheth  their  car- 

28  case  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even.  And  he 
that  beareth  the  carcase  of  them  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even:  they 
are  unclean  unto  you. 

29  And  these  are  they  which  are  unclean  unto 
you  among  the  creeping  things  that  creep  upon 
the  earth;    the   weasel,    ana    the   mouse,  and 

30  the  great  lizard  after  its  kind,  and  the  gecko, 
and  the  land  crocodile,  and  the  lizard,  and  the 

31  sand-lizard,  and  the  chameleon.  These  are 
they  which  are  unclean  to  you  among  all  that 
creep :  whosoever  doth  touch  them,  when  they 

32  are  dead,  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even.  And 
upon  whatsoever  any  of  them,  when  they  are 
dead,  doth  fall,  it  shall  be  unclean  ;  whether  it 
be  any  vessel  of  wood,  or  raiment,  or  skin,  or 
sack,  whatsoever  vessel  it  be,  wherewith  any 
work  is  done,  it  must  be  put  into  water,  and  it 
shall  be  unclean  until  the  even  ;  then  shall  it 

33  be  clean.  And  every  earthen  vessel,  whereinto 
any  of  them  falleth,  whatsoever  is  in  it  shall  be 

34  unclean,  and  it  ye  shall  break.  All  food  therein 
which  may  be  eaten,  that  on  which  water  com- 
eth, shall  be  unclean .  and  all  drink  that  may 
be  drunk  in  every  such  vessel  shall  be  unclean. 

35  And  every  thing  whereupon  any  part  of  their 
carcase  falleth  shall  be  unclean  ;  whether  oven, 
or  range  for  pots,  it  shall  be  broken  in  pieces : 
they  are  unclean,  aud  shall   be  unclean  unto 

36  you.  Nevertheless  a  fountain  or  a  pit  wherein 
is  a  gathering  of  water  shall  be  clean  :  but  that 
which  toucheth  their  carcase  shall  be  unclean. 

37  And  if  aught  of  their  carcase  fall  upon  any  sow- 

38  ing  seed  which  is  to  be  sown,  it  is  clean.  But  if 
water  be  put  upon  the  seed,  and  aught  of  their 
carcase  fall  thereon,  it  is  unclean  unto  you. 

39  And  if  any  beast,  of  which  ye  may  eat,  die ; 
he  that  toucheth  the  carcase  thereof  shall  be 

40  unclean  until  the  even.  And  he  that  eateth  of 
the  carcase  of  it  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be 
unclean  until  the  even  :  he  also  that  beareth 
the  carcase  of  it  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be 
unclean  until  the  even. 


eaten,  the  lawgiver  goes  on  to  make  the  regula- 
tion that  whoever  touches  their  carcases  shall  be 
unclean  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  the  one  who 
carries  the  dead  body  shall  also  wash  his  clothes. 
29-38.  Then  some  of  the  smaller  animals, 
whether  quadrupeds  or  reptiles,  such  as  are  most 
likely  to  come  in  contact  with  food  or  domestic 
utensils  in  the  houses  are  specified,  and  the  treat- 
ment of  the  defilement  which  may  be  acci- 
dentally caused  by  them  indicated.  These 
animals  are  roughly  classed  as  creeping  or 
swarming  things.  The  meaning  of  the  Hebrew 
terms  designating  these  animals  is  for  the  most 
part  obscure,  but  the  Revised  version  represents 
perhaps  as  high  a  degree  of  exactness  as  is  at 
present  attainable.  The  person  who  touched 
their  dead  bodies  was  to  be  unclean  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day ;  any  garment  or  vessel  of 
wood,  or  skin  or  sack,  on  which  they  were  found 
was  to  be  soaked  in  water  and  withheld  from 


use  as  unclean  for  the  day,  while  an  earthen 
vessel  was  to  be  broken.  A  fountain  or  cistern 
in  which  a  considerable  quantity  of  water  was 
stored  could  hardly  be  subjected  as  a  constant 
practice  to  the  minute  inspection  necessary  to 
keep  it  rid  of  every  small  dead  thing,  and  so 
was  presumed  in  ordinary  circumstances  to  be 
clean.  Seed,  except  when  saturated  with  defiled 
water,  was  considered  clean.  39,  40.  Finally 
it  is  specified  that  the  person  who  touched  the 
carcase — i.  e.,  perhaps  the  body  when  not  prop- 
erly slaughtered  (see  n  :  is) — even  of  an  animal 
which  was  allowed  as  food  was  to  be  unclean 
until  evening,  and  if  he  had  eaten  of  it  or  had 
carried  it  away  he  was  in  addition  to  wash  his 
clothes.  The  regulation  was  made  in  the  earlier 
part  of  the  book  (5  =  2)  that  these  defilements,  if 
inadvertent  and  so  not  followed  by  the  guarded 
deportment  of  one  consciously  polluted,  were  on 
their  discovery  to  be  expiated  by  a  sin  ofiering. 


54 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XII. 


41  And  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth  shaU  he  au  aboiuiuatioa  ;  it  siiull  not  be 
eaten. 

42  Whatsoever  goeth  upon  the  belly,  and  what- 
soever goeth  upon  ail  four,  or  whatsoever  hath 
more  feet  among  all  creeping  things  that  creep 
upon  the  earth,  them  ye  shall  not  eat ;  for  Lhey  are 
au  abomination. 

43  Ye  shall  not  make  your  selves  abominable 
with  any  creeping  thing  that  creepeth,  neither 
shall  ye  make  yourselves  unclean  with  them,  that 
ye  should  be  de'liled  thereby. 

44  Fov  I  am  the  Lord  your  God  :  ye  shall  there- 
fore sanctify  yourselves,  and  ye  shall  be  lioly  ;  for 
lam  holy:  neither  shall  ye  defile  yourselves  with 
any  manner  of  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upou 
the  earth. 

45  For  I  am  the  Lord  that  bringeth  you  up  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt,  to  be  your  God  :  ye  shall  there- 
fore be  holy,  for  I  am  holy. 

46  This  is  the  law  of  the  beasts,  and  of  the  fowl, 
and  of  every  living  creature  that  moveth  in  the 
waters,  and  of  every  creature  that  creepeth  upon 
the  earth : 

47  To  make  a  difference  between  the  unclean 
and  the  clean,  and  between  the  beast  that  may  be 
eaten  and  the  beast  that  may  not  be  eaten. 


41  And  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  u]  on 
the  earth   is  an  aijomination  ;   it  shall   not   be 

42  eaten.  Whatsoever  goeth  upon  the  belly,  and 
whatsoever  goeth  upon  all  four,  or  whatsoever 
hath  many  feet,  even  all  creeping  things  iliat 
creep  tipon  tlie  eanli,  them  ye  shall  not  eat;  for 

43  they  are  an  abomination.  Ye  shall  not  make 
yourselves  abominable  with  any  creeping  thing 
that  creepeth,  )ieither  shall  ye  make  yourselves 
unclean   with  them,   that  ye  should  be  defiled 

44  thereby.  For  1  am  the  Lord  your  God  :  sanctify 
yourselves  therefore,  and  be  ye  holy  ;  for  I  am 
holy:  neither  sliall  ye  defile  yourselves  witli 
any    manner  of    creeping   thing    that  moveth 

45  upon  the  earth.  For  1  am  the  Lord  that  brought 
you  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  be  your  God  : 
ye  shall  theielore  be  holy,  lor  1  am  holy. 

46  'ihis  is  the  law  of  the  beast,  and  of  the  fowl, 
and  of  every  living  creature  that  moveth  in  the 
waters,   and  of   every  creature    that   cretpeih 

47  upon  the  earth:  to  make  a  difference  between 
the  unclean  and  the  clean,  and  between  the 
living  thing  that  may  Ijc  eaten  and  the  liviLg 
thing  that  may  not  be  eaten. 


41-47.  Creeping  insects  and  reptiles;  Sub- 
scription. The  legislation  now  returns  to  the 
consideration  of  animals  that  are  not  to  be  eaten 
at  all.  Creeping  insects  and  reptiles  are  called 
in  the  Hebrew,  "swarming  things  that  swarm 
upon  the  earth,"  and  are  thus  distinguished 
from  "swarming  things  of  wing"  considered  in 
ver.  20-23.  42.  These  animals  are  totally  pro- 
hibited as  food,  the  legal  and  explicit  descrip- 
tion of  the  prohibited  kinds  being  whatsoever 
goeth  upon  the  belly,  as  snakes  and  worms, 
whatsoever  goeth  on  all  four,  i.  e.,  prob- 
ably small  quadrupeds  like  weasels  and  mice 
(see  ver.  29)  which  are  considered  as  vermin,  and 
whatsover  hath  more,  many,  feet,  like 
centipedes  and  caterpillars. 

The  spiritual  ground  or  motive  of  these  dis- 
tinctions between  clean  and  unclean  was  the 
general  obligation  of  being  holy  as  God  is  holy. 
The  carefully  cultivated  abhorrence,  particu- 
larly of  slimy,  swarming  things,  in  the  nation 
connected  itself  intimately  with  their  notion  of 
the  divine  purity.  It  gave  them  a  conception 
of  God's  holiness  which  derived  its  point  and 
vividness  from  antagonism  with  all  that  is 
physically  abominable.  Their  intense  abhor- 
rence of  the  practices  of  surrounding  nations  in 
this  regard  (see  isa.  65  :  4;  66  :  17)  rendered  their 
sense  of  the  divine  holiness  also  a  sense  of  their 
own  separateness  from  the  other  peoples  of  the 
earth,  a  separateness  which  these  carefully 
guarded  distinctions  in  food  were  intended  to 
maintain  (cf.  lo  :  le;  20  :  25,  26).  The  act  of  God 
in  bringing  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt — 
separating  them  from  the  nations  (ver.  45) — is 
therefore  cited  as  a  prime  motive  for  maintaining 
these  distinctions. 


44,  45.  These  solemn  sanctions,  I  am  the 
Lord,   .   .   be   ye  holy;    for  I   am   holy, 

are  among  the  most  characteristic  marks  of  the 
law  of  holiness,  that  distinct  and  perhaps  earlier 
stratum  of  the  priest  code  beginning  atchap.  17. 
These  marks,  with  others  which  to  trained  ob- 
servation are  hardly  less  distinctive,  have  led 
modern  critics  to  regard  this  whole  chapter, 
with  the  exception  of  the  interpolated  verses 
(24-40) J  as  incorporated  from  that  particular 
documentary  source. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  subscription  or 
appended  title  strictly  covers  only  the  four 
classes  of  creatures  that  may  not  be  eaten  and 
ignores  the  contents  of  the  inserted  verses  (24-40)  ^ 
wdiich  relate  to  creatures  whose  carcases  are  not 
to  be  touched. 


Chap.  12.  PUEIFICATION  AFTER  CHILD- 
BIRTH. This  chapter  would  more  naturally 
follow  chap.  15,  with  which  it  is  connected  in 
subject.  The  latter  chapter  as  it  now  stands 
has  no  connection  either  with  the  preceding  or 
following  chapter,  and  if  it  were  removed  from 
its  present  position  and  placed  before  this  chap- 
ter it  would  keep  the  three  great  classes  of  un- 
cleanness  treated  of  in  the  priestly  law  grouped 
each  by  itself.  Those  three  classes  of  unclean- 
ness  are:  (1)  defilement  from  secretions,  par- 
ticularly from  the  organs  of  generation  (chap.  12, 
15)  ;  (2)  uncleanness  from  leprosy  (chap.  13,  14) ^ 
and  (3)  pollution  from  contact  with  a  dead 
body.  The  last  species  of  defilement  is  con- 
sidered in  Num.  19. 

Those  who  w^ould  reduce  the  whole  Hebrew 
idea  of  defilement  to  some  connection  with  death 
and  decomposition  as  repugnant  to  the  Deity, 


Ch.  XIL] 


LEVITICUS 


55 


just  as  holiness  in  an  object  results  from  some 
contact  or  union  with  the  Deity,  find  a  great 
deal  of  difficulty  in  bringing  the  impurity  from 
childbirth  under  their  category.  This  form  of 
impurity  connects  itself  with  reproduction  and 
life  rather  than  with  death.  What  there  should 
be  repugnant  to  Deity,  as  the  source  of  life,  in 
this  natural  process  it  is  hard  to  see.  But  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  must  we  not  find  more  in  the 
Hebrew  idea  of  death  as  opposed  to  God,  than 
simply  the  thought  of  dissolution  ?  May  it  not 
be  an  idea  which  includes  all  that  is  made  nec- 
essary in  the  world  by  reason  of  the  reign  of 
death  ? 

We  have  already  seen  that  sin  as  an  expia])le 
condition  was  to  the  Hebrew  mind  a  defilement 
hardly  distinguished  from  a  physical  state. 
Moreover,  to  the  one  contemplating  a  higher  de- 
gree of  consecration  as  his  chosen  form  of  life, 
the  merely  natural  state  becomes  sinful.  "  Crea- 
tural  unsanctification  and  moral  imperfection 
are  not  clearly  separated.  The  heavens  are  not 
clean  before  God ;  he  findeth  fault  with  his 
holy  ones  (Job  4 :  is,  seq.).  In  the  liturgical  sphere 
of  worship,  indeed,  the  idea  of  creatural  un- 
sanctification, of  distance  between  Creator  and 
creature,  is  the  prevailing  one"  (Schultz). 
Now  that  this  unsanctification,  or  impurity  in 
the  presence  of  ineffable  holiness,  connected  it- 
self with  the  thought  of  death  is  undoubtedly 
true  ;  but  the  death  thought  of  is  death  in  the 
widest  sense — the  whole  condition  of  being 
mortal.  That  condition  was  characterized  just 
as  much  by  the  reproduction  through  which  the 
fleeting  generations  were  replaced,  as  by  the  dis- 
solution which  removed  them.  To  the  poetic 
mind  the  intensest  feeling  of  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure arose  in  connection  with  the  thought 
of  the  contrast  between  the  creatures  of  a  day 
and  the  unchanging  One  who  was  their  dwell- 
ing-place "  in  generation  and  generation."  The 
author  of  the  ninetieth  Psalm  can  find  but  one 
meaning  in  the  brevity  of  life,  and  that  is  the 
divine  indignation.  "All  our  days  are  passed 
away  in  thy  wrath :  we  finish  our  years  like  a 
sigh"  (Ps.  90:9).  In  all  this  psalm,  which  is 
one  prolonged  breathing  of  tender  penitence, 
there  is  but  the  slightest  mention  of  personal 
iniquity,  and  that  only  as  the  concrete  object  of 
the  divine  omniscience.  It  is  throughout  a 
confession  of  transitoriness  as  subject  to  God's 
anger;  and  it  ends  in  the  prayer  for  such  per- 
manence as  comes  through  what  the  ages  ac- 
complish (ver.  17),  if  not  through  individual  im- 
mortality. To  the  Hebrew  thus  imbued,  in  his 
inspired  moments,  with  the  thought  of  his  crea- 


tural changeableness  as  hateful  to  God,  the 
events  of  birth  and  death,  and  all  connected 
with  a  mortal  state,  might  equally  be  a  reminder 
of  that  separation  from  God  which  is  the  penalty 
of  sin,  and  might  well  become  the  occasion  of 
ceremonial  precautions  and  lustrations  until  the 
sense  of  cleanness  before  God  should  be  restored. 

In  that  account  of  the  origin  of  human  sin 
which  became  incorporated  into  Hebrew  belief 
as  a  part  of  primeval  history  (Gen.  3),  the  state 
of  guilt  and  shame  following  on  the  disobedience 
of  the  first  pair  is  mysteriously  and  significantly 
connected  with  their  sexual  nature.  They  are 
threatened  with  death  as  the  penalty  of  eating 
the  fruit,  and  yet  when  they  have  transgressed 
they  do  not  literally  die  but  become  sexually 
self-conscious.  The  sentence  pronounced  on  the 
Avoman  too,  is  a  dooming  to  that  pain  in  con- 
nection with  childbirth  which  ever  reminds  the 
sutfering  mother  that  there  is  something  abnor- 
mal and  opposed  to  blessedness  even  in  the  act 
of  bringing  a  new  life  into  the  world.  The  sen- 
tence, "  Thou  shalt  surely  die,"  must  have 
meant,  even  to  the  remote  author  who  could  let 
it  stand  in  his  account  without  sense  of  contra- 
diction, "  Thou  shalt  surely  become  mortal,  sub- 
ject to  the  restless  round  of  birth,  change,  and 
death,  a  petty  contrast  and  abhorrence  to  the 
blessed  life  of  the  Eternal."  Sin  as  death  meant 
sin  as  mortality.  That  "  creatural  unsanctifica- 
tion "  which  was  the  basis  of  the  sense  of  un- 
cleanness  arose  to  consciousness  not  only  through 
contact  with  death,  or  disease  which  might  be 
taken  as  death  in  its  inception,  but  through  the 
natural  operation,  at  least  in  the  woman,  of 
those  laws  of  reproduction  which  are  the  con- 
comitant of  human  change.  Hence  the  woman, 
on  the  occasion  of  childbirth,  becomes  subject 
to  an  uncleanness  which  requires  lustration  and 
sacrifice. 

"  Uncleanness  was  generally  ascribed  to  child- 
birth, according  to  the  usages  of  the  most  an- 
cient nations."  The  Hindus,  Parsees,  Arabs, 
Greeks,  and  Romans  had  regulations  requiring 
purification  on  the  part  of  the  mother,  and  the 
imputation  of  impurity  sometimes  extended  to 
the  whole  family.  In  almost  all  cases  too,  the 
period  of  forty  days  was  regarded  as  a  critical 
interval  (cf.  ver.  2,  4)  in  connection  with  the 
event. 

The  impurity  from  secretions  which  attached 
to  the  male  (see  chap.  15)  was  reckoned  only  in 
connection  with  an  accidental  or  morbid  dis- 
charge, and  the  feeling  of  uncleanness  could 
perhaps  be  accounted  for  by  the  natural  disgust 
at  having  the  substance  in  contact  with  the 


56 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XIII. 


CHAPTER     XII. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  If  a 
woman  have  conceived  seed,  and  born  a  man 
child  :  then  she  shall  be  unclean  seven  days  ;  ac- 
cording to  the  days  of  the  separation  for  her  in- 
firmity shall  she  be  unclean. 

3  And  in  the  eighth  day  the  flesh  of  his  foreskin 
shall  be  circximcised. 

4  And  she  shall  tlien  continue  in  the  blood  of 
her  purifying  three  and  thirty  days ;  she  shall 
touch  no  hallowed  thing,  nor  come  into  the  sanc- 
tuary, until  the  days  of  her  purifying  be  fullilled. 

5  But  if  she  bear  a  maid  child,  then  she  shall  be 
unclean  two  weeks,  as  in  her  separation  :  and  she 
shall  continue  in  the  blood  of  her  purifying  three- 
score and  six  days. 

6  And  w^hen  the  days  of  her  purifying  are  ful- 
filled, for  a  son,  or  for  a  daughter,  she  shall  bring  a 
lamb  of  the  first  year  for  a  burnt  offering,  and  a 
young  pigeon,  or  a  turtledove,  for  a  sin  offering, 
unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
unto  the  priest : 

7  Who  shall  offer  it  before  the  Lord,  and  make 
an  atonement  for  her ;  and  she  shall  be  cleansed 
from  the  issue  of  her  blood.  This  is  the  law  for  her 
that  hath  born  a  male  or  a  female. 

&  And  if  she  be  not  able  to  bring  a  lamb,  then 
she  shall  bring  two  turtles,  or  two  young  pigeons  ; 
the  one  for  the  burnt  offering,  and  the  other  for 
a  sin  offering  :  and  the  priest  shall  make  an  atone- 
ment for  her,  and  she  shall  be  clean. 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto    Moses,    saying. 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  If  a 
woman  conceive  seed,  and  bear  a  man  child, 
then  she  shall  be  unclean  seven  days ;  as  in  the 
days  of  the  impurity  of  her  sickness  shall  she 

3  be  unclean.    And  in  the  eighth  day  the  flesh  of 

4  his  foreskin  shall  be  circumcised.  And  she 
shall  continue  in  the  blood  of  her  purifying 
three  and  thirty  days  ;  she  shall  touch  no  hal- 
lowed thing,  nor  come  into  the  sanctuary,  until 

5  the  days  of  her  purifying  be  fulfilled.  But 
if  she  bear  a  maid  child,  then  she  shall  be  un- 
clean two  weeks,  as  in  her  impurity :  and  she 
shall  continue  in  the  blood  of   her  purifying 

6  threescore  and  six  days.  And  when  the  days  of 
her  purifying  are  fulfilled,  for  a  son,  or  for  a 
daughter,  she  shall  bring  a  lamb  of  the  first 
year  for  a  burnt  offeiing,  and  a  young  pigeon, 
or  a  turtledove,  for  a  sin  offering,  unto  the  door 
of  the  tent  of   meeting,  unto  the  priest :   and 

7  he  shall  offer  it  before  the  Lord,  and  make 
atonement  for  her;  and  she  shall  be  cleansed 
from  the  fountain  of  her  blood.  This  is  the  law 
for  her  that  beareth,  whether  a  male  or  a  female. 

8  And  if  her  means  suffice  not  for  a  lamb,  then 
she  shall  take  two  turtledoves,  or  two  young 
pigeons ;  the  one  for  a  burnt  offering,  and  the 
other  for  a  sin  offering :  and  the  priest  shall 
make  atonement  for  her,  and  she  shall  be  clean. 


skin  or  clothing ;  but  the  woman  was  made  un- 
clean by  the  natural  infirmity  of  her  sex  and  by 
the  normal  function  of  motherhood,  as  if  her 
act  of  visibly  producing  new  life  were  second 
only  to  death  and  decay  as  a  reminder  of  that 
mortality  which  is  the  greatest  contrast  to  the 
God  who  ever  lives. 

1.  Unto  Moses,  instead  of  to  Moses  and 
Aaron  as  in  the  preceding  and  following  chap- 
ters. 2.  According  to  the  days  of  the 
separation  for  her  infirmity  presupposes 
a  knowledge  of  the  regulation  in  15  :  19.  For 
seven  days,  in  the  case  of  a  boy  baby,  the 
woman  was  "unclean,"  i.  e.,  in  such  a  state  as 
to  communicate  defilement  to  Avhatever  she 
touched.  4,  For  thirty-three  days  thereafter 
she  was  in  the  blood  of  her  purifying,  and 
was  debarred  from  touching  any  sanctified  thing 
or  coming  into  the  sanctuary.  The  boundary 
between  the  period  of  uncleanness  and  that  of 
purifying  was  marked  by  the  circumcision  of 
the  child  on  the  eighth  day  (see  Gen.  n  :  lo,  is).  In 
the  case  of  a  female  child  the  period  of  "un- 
cleanness" and  of  the  "blood  of  purifying" 
was  doubled.  The  notion  seems  to  have  been 
common  in  ancient  times  that  a  woman  suffered 
longer  after  the  birth  of  a  girl  than  after  that  of 
a  boy.  On  the  completion  of  the  days  of  puri- 
fying, whether  for  a  boy  or  a  girl,  a  sacrifice 
was  to  be  brought  consisting  of  a  lamb,  a  son  of 
his  year,  for  a  burnt  offering,  and  a  youn-g 
pigeon  or  a  turtle-dove  for  a  sin  offering.  The 
degree  of  sinfulness  implied  seems  to  be  light. 


In  the  case  of  poverty  even  the  lamb  might  be 
replaced  by  another  turtle-dove  or  young  pigeon. 
In  the  time  of  Christ  it  was  either  customary  to 
dispense  with  the  lamb  of  the  burnt  offering,  or 
else  the  mother  of  our  Lord  was  compelled  by 
her  poverty  to  content  herself  with  the  less 
expensive  sacrifice  (see  Luke  2  :  24). 


Chap.  13.  Leprosy.  1-46.  Diagnosis  of 
leprosy  in  man.  "  The  leprosy  is  the  most  ter- 
rible of  all  the  disorders  to  which  the  body  of 
man  is  subject.  There  is  no  disease  in  which 
hope  of  recovery  is  so  nearly  extinguished. 
From  a  commencement  slight  in  appearance, 
with  but  little  pain  or  inconvenience,  often  in 
its  earlier  stage  insidiously  disappearing  and 
reappearing,  it  goes  on  in  its  strong  but  sluggish 
course,  generally  in  defiance  of  the  efforts  of 
medical  skill,  until  it  reduces  the  patient  to  a 
mutilated  cripple  with  dulled  or  obliterated 
senses,  the  voice  turned  to  a  croak,  and  ghastly 
deformity  of  features.  When  it  reaches  some 
vital  part  it  generally  occasions  what  seem  like 
the  symptoms  of  a  distinct  disease  (most  often 
dysentery),  and  so  puts  an  end  to  the  life  of  the 
sufierer." 

The  Hebrew  term,  H^'l^,  tsaraath,  used  in 
this  chapter,  is  considered  by  the  best  authori- 
ties to  refer  not  to  common  leprosy  {lepra  vul- 
garis), which  is  a  different  and  far  more  super- 
ficial disease,  as  indicated  in  ver.  12,  13,  but  to 
what  is  known  to  physicians  as  elephantiasis. 
Of  this  two  forms  are  distinguished,  the  tuber- 


Ch.  XIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


57 


CHAPTER    XIII 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  Aaron, 
saying, 

2  When  a  man  shall  have  in  the  skin  of  his  flesh 
a  rising,  a  scab,  or  bright  spot,  and  it  be  in  the 
skin  of  his  flesh  like  the  plague  of  leprosy  ;  then  he 
shall  be  brought  unto  Aaron  the  priest,  or  unto  one 
of  his  sons  the  priests  : 

3  And  the  priest  shall  look  on  the  plague  in  the 
skin  of  the  flesh  :  and  when  the  hair  in  the  plague 
is  turned  white,  and  the  plague  in  sight  be  deeper 
than  the  skin  of  his  flesh,  it  is  a  plague  of  lepro.sy  : 
and  the  priest  shall  look  on  him,  and  pronounce 
him  unclean. 

4  If  the  bright  spot  be  wliite  in  the  skin  of  his 
flesh,  and  in  sight  be  not  deeper  than  the  skin,  and 
the  hair  thereof  be  not  turned  white ;  then  the 
priest  shall  shut  up  him  that  hath  the  plague  seven 
days: 

.')  And  the  priest  shall  look  on  him  the  seventh 
day  :  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  in  his  sight  be  at  a 
stay,  and  the  plague  spread  not  in  the  skin ;  then 
the  priest  shall  shut  him  up  seven  days  more : 

6  And  the  priest  shall  look  on  him  again  the 
seventh  day  :  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be  some- 
what dark,  "arid  the  plague  spread  not  in  tlie  skin, 
the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  clean :  it  is  but  a 
scab:  and  he  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  clean. 

7  But  if  the  scab  spread  much  abroad  in  the  skin, 
after  that  he  hath  been  seen  of  the  priest  for  his 
cleansing,  he  shall  be  seen  of  the  priest  again  : 

8  And  if  the  priest  see  that,  behold,  the  scab 
spreadeth  in  the  skin,  then  the  priest  shall  pro- 
nounce him  unclean  :  it  is  a  leprosy. 

9  When  the  plague  of  leprosy  is  in  a  man,  then 
he  shall  be  brought  unto  the  priest ; 

10  And  the  priest  shall  see  him :  and,  behold,  if 
the  rising  be  white  in  the  skin,  and  it  have  turned 
the  hair  white,  and  there  he  quick  raw  flesh  in  the 
rising  ; 

11  It  is  an  old  leprosy  in  the  skin  of  his  flesh,  and 
the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  unclean,  and  shall 
not  shut  him  up:  for  he  is  uncleun. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 

2  Aaron,  saying.  When  a  man  shall  have  in  the 
skin  of  his  flesh  a  rising,  or  a  scab,  or  a  bright 
spot,  and  it  become  in  the  skin  of  his  flesh  the 
plague  of  leprosy,  then  he  shall  be  brought  unto 
Aaron  the  priest,  or  unto  one  of  his  sons  the 

3  priests :  and  the  priest  shall  look  on  the  plague 
in  the  skin  of  the  flesh  :  and  if  the  hair  in  the 
plague  be  turned  white,  and  the  appearance  of 
the  plague  be  deeper  than  the  skin  of  his  flesh, 
it  is  the  plague  of  leprosy  :  and  the  priest  shall 

4  look  on  liim,  and  pronounce  him  unclean.  And 
if  the  bright  spot  be  white  in  the  skin  of  his 
flesh,  and  tlie  appearance  thereof  be  not  deeper 
than  the  skin,  and  the  hair  thereof  be  not  turned 
white,  then  the  priest  shall  shut  up  him  that  hath 

5  the  plague  seven  days  :  and  the  priest  shall  look 
on  him  the  seventh  day  :  and,  behold,  if  in  his 
eyes  the  plague  be  at  a  stay,  and  the  plague  be 
not  spread  in  the  skin,  then  the  prie-^^t  -shall  shut 

6  him  up  seven  days  more :  and  the  priest  shall 
look  on  him  again  the  seventh  day  :  and,  be- 
hold, if  the  plague  be  dim,  and  the  plague  be 
not  spread  in  the  skin,  then  the  priest  shall  pro- 
nounce him  clean  :   it  is  a  scab :   and  he  shall 

7  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  clean.  But  if  the  scab 
spread  abroad  in  the  skin,  after  that  he  hath 
shewn  himself  to  the  priest  for  his  cleansing,  he 

8  shall  shew  himself  to  the  priest  again  :  and  the 
priest  shall  look,  and,  behold,  if  the  scab  be 
spread  in  the  skin,  then  the  priest  shall  pro- 
nounce him  unclean  :  it  is  leprosy. 

9  When  the  plague  of  leprosy  is  in  a  man,  then 

10  he  shall  be  brought  unto  the  priest;  and  the 
priest  shall  look,  and,  behold,  if  there  be  a 
white  rising  in  the  skin,  and  it  have  turned  the 
hair  white,  and  there  be  quick  raw  flesh  in  the 

11  rising,  it  is  an  old  leprosy  in  the  skin  of  his 
flesh,  and  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  un- 
clean :   he  shall  not  shut  him  up ;    for  he  is 


culated  elephantiasis,  and  the  ansesthetic  or  non- 
tuberculated  elephantiasis,  the  former  being 
characterized  by  the  formation  of  tubercles  in 
the  face  or  other  parts  of  the  body,  and  later  by 
a  swollen  and  horribly  deformed  appearance  of 
the  face  with  its  livid,  encrusted,  and  ulcerated 
tubercles,  and  the  latter  by  often  breaking  out  in 
shining  hulke  in  the  forehead  (2  Chron.  26 :  19, 20)  and 
afterward'  attacking  the  joints  and  making  them 
devoid  of  sensation,  and  finally  causing  fingers 
and  toes  and  even  limbs  gradually  to  drop  off. 
The  former  is  sometimes  called  humid  or  black 
leprosy,  and  the  latter  dry  or  white  leprosy. 
The  tuberculated  form  is  at  the  present  day  the 
most  common  in  Egypt  and  Syria,  though  the 
two  in  many  cases  work  together. 

1-8.  First  marks  of  leprosy .  The  features  of 
the  disease  described  here  in  Leviticus  are  not 
the  advanced  and  developed  characteristics,  but 
the  symptoms  belonging  to  its  earlier  stages, 
and  while  its  presence  is  a  matter  of  doubt. 
2.  The  first  appearance  which  calls  for  the  at- 
tention of  the  priest  is  a  rising,  i.  e.,  inflamed 
patch,  or  a  scab  or  cicatrix,  or  a  bright,  or, 
glossy,  spot.  If  on  examination  the  priest  finds 
the  hair  on  this  spot  to  have  turned  white  and 


its  appearance  to  be  deeper  than  the  surface  or 
scarf  skin,  the  case  is  at  once  decided  ;  the  priest 
is  to  pronounce  him  unclean.  If,  however,  these 
two  decisive  marks  are  wanting,  it  is  a  case  of 
doubt,  and  the  priest  is  to  shut  up  the  patient 
for  seven  days.  If  at  the  end  of  that  time  the 
disease  does  not  seem  to  have  advanced,  the 
priest  is  required  to  shut  him  up  seven  days 
more.  If  on  the  second  examination  the  plague 
has  grown  somewhat  faint  or  dim  the  priest 
pronounces  the  person  clean  ;  it  is  only  a  com- 
mon scab  ;  but  if  the  disease  has  advanced  much 
in  the  skin  it  is  leprosy. 

9-11.  Confirmed  lejyrosy.  The  case  here 
contemplated  seems  to  be  that  of  a  person  who 
has  deferred  showing  himself  to  the  priest  until 
the  disease  has  reached  a  more  advanced  stage. 
10.  The  decisive  mark  is  quick  raw  flesh, 
lit.,  the  quickening  of  living  flesh,  in  the  rising. 
This  may  refer  to  an  ulcer  or  open  sore  with 
"proud  flesh"  in  it,  or  it  may  refer  to  the  ex- 
cessive tenderness  of  the  bulla  in  ansesthetic 
elephantiasis  before  it  becomes  insensible.  11. 
Shall  not  shut  him  up,  i.  e.,  shall  not  sub- 
ject hira  to  the  periods  of  quarantine  for  purposes 
of  examination. 


58 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XIII. 


12  And  if  a  leprosy  break  out  abroad  in  the  skin, 
and  tlie  leprosy  cover  all  the  skin  of  him  that  hath 
the  plague  from  his  head  even  to  his  foot,  where- 
soever the  priest  looketli ; 

13  Then  the  priest  shall  consider :  and,  behold, 
if  the  leprosy  have  covered  aJl  his  flesh,  he  shall 
pronounce  hun  clean  that  hath  the  plague :  it  is  all 
turned  white  :  he  is  clean. 

14  But  when  raw  flesh  appeareth  in  him,  he  shall 
be  unclean. 

15  And  the  priest  shall  see  the  raw  flesh,  and  pro- 
nounce him  to  be  unclean  :  fur  the  raw  flesh  is  un- 
clean :  it  is  a  leprosy. 

16  Or  if  the  raw  flesh  turn  again,  and  be  changed 
unto  white,  he  shall  come  unto  the  priest ; 

17  And  the  priest  shall  see  him:  and,  behold,  if 
the  plague  be  turned  into  white  ;  then  the  priest 
shall  pronounce  him  clean  that  hath  the  plague :  he 
is  clean. 

18  The  fle-sh  also,  in  which,  even  in  the  skin  there- 
of, was  a  boil,  and  is  healed, 

19  Aud  in  the  place  of  the  boil  there  be  a  white 
rising,  or  a  bright  spot,  white,  and  somewhat 
reddish,  and  it  be  shewed  to  the  priest ; 

20  And  if,  when  the  priest  seeth  it,  behold,  it  be 
in  sight  lower  than  the  skin,  and  the  hair  thereof 
be  turned  white ;  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him 
unclean  :  it  is  a  plague  of  leprosy  broken  out  of  the 
boil. 

21  But  if  the  priest  look  on  it,  and,  behold,  there 
be  no  white  hairs  therein,  and  if  it  be  not  lower  than 
the  skin,  but  be  somewhat  dark  ;  then  the  priest 
shall  shut  him  up  seven  days  : 

22  And  if  it  spread  much  abroad  in  the  skin,  then 
the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  unclean  :  it  is  a 
plague. 

2'd  But  if  the  bright  spot  stay  in  his  place,  and 
spread  not,  it  is  a  burning  boil ;  and  the  priest  shall 
pronounce  him  clean. 

24  Or  if  there  be  aiiy  flesh,  in  the  skin  whereof 
there  is  a  hot  burning,  and  the  quick  flesh  that 
burneth  have  a  white  bright  spot,  somewhat  red- 
dish, or  white ; 

25  Then  the  priest  shall  look  upon  it :  and,  be- 
hold, if  the  hair  in  the  bright  spot  be  turned  white, 
and  it  bein  sight  deeper  than  the  skin  ;  it  is  a  lep- 
ro.sy  broken  out  of  the  burning:  wherefore  the 
priest  shall  pronounce  him  unclean :  it  is  the 
plague  of  leprosy. 

26  But  if  the  priest  look  on  it,  and,  behold,  there 
be  no  white  hair  in  the  bright  spot,  and  it  be  no 
lower  than  the  other  skin,  but  be  somewhat  dark  ; 
then  the  priest  shall  shut  him  up  seven  days : 

27  And  the  priest  shall  look  upon  him  the  seventh 
day  :  and  if  it  be  spread  much  abroad  in  the  skin, 
then  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  unclean  :  it  is 
the  plague  of  leprosy. 

28  And  if  the  bright  spot  stay  in  his  place,  and 
spread  not  in  the  skin,  but  it  be  somewhat  dark ; 
it  is  a  rising  of  the  burning,  and  the  priest  shall 
pronounce  him  clean  :  for  it  is  an  inflammation  of 
the  burning. 

12-17.  Common  leprosy.  An  eruption  which 
has  so  spread  as  to  cover  the  whole  body,  turn- 
ing it  white,  and  yet  without  any  raw  flesh  or 
ulcers  appearing  anywhere  on  the  surface,  can- 
not be  true  elephantiasis.  It  is  only  a  ease  of 
lepra  vulgaris,  or  dry  tetter,  "which,  although 
an  affection  often  of  long  duration,  frequently 
disappears  spontaneously,  and  is  never  malig- 
nant." If,  however,  the  ulcers  at  any  time  ap- 
pear, unless  they  prove  only  temporary,  they 
are  to  be  taken  as  indications  of  true  leprosy, 
thus  rendering  the  patient  unclean. 

18-28.  Special  cases  of  leprosy.  The  first 
case  noticed  in  this  passage  is  where  an  ulcer 


12  unclean.  And  if  the  leprosy  break  out  abroad  in 
the  skin,  and  the  leprosy  cover  all  the  skin  of 
him  that  hath  the  plague  from  his  head  even  to 

13  his  feet,  as  far  as  appeareth  to  the  priest ;  then 
the  priest  shall  look  :  and,  behold,  if  the  leprosy 
have  covered  all  his  flesh,  he  shall  pronounce 
hirn  clean  that  hath  the  plague :  it  is  all  turned 

14  white :  he  is  clean.    But  whensoever  raw  flesh 

15  appeareth  in  him,  he  shall  be  unclean.  And  the 
priest  shall  look  on  the  raw  flesh,  and  pronounce 
him  unclean :   the  raw  flesh  is  unclean :   it  is 

16  leprosy.  Or  if  the  raw  flesh  turn  again,  and  be 
changed  unto  white,  then  he  shall  come  unto 

17  the  priest,  and  the  priest  shall  look  on  him  : 
and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be  turned  into  white, 
then  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  clean  that 
hath  the  plague  :  he  is  clean. 

18  And  when  the  flesh  hath  in  the  skin  thereof  a 

19  boil,  aud  it  is  healed,  and  in  the  place  of  the 
boil  there  is  a  white  rising,  or  a  bright  spot,  red- 
dish-white, then  it  shall  be  shewed  to  theprie.st ; 

20  and  the  priest  shall  look,  and,  behold,  if  the  ap- 
pearance thereof  be  lower  than  the  skin,  and 
the  hair  theieof  be  turned  white,  then  the  priest 
shall  pronounce  him  unclean  :  it  is  the  plague 

21  of  leprosy,  it  hath  broken  out  in  the  boil.  But 
if  the  priest  look  on  it,  and,  behold,  there  be  no 
white  hairs  therein,  and  it  be  not  lower  than 
the  skin,  but  be  dim,  then  the  priest  shall  shut 

22  him  up  seven  days :  and  if  it  spread  abroad  in 
the  skin,  then  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him 

23  unclean  :  it  is  a  plague.  But  if  the  bright  spot 
stay  in  its  place,  and  be  not  spread,  it  is  the  scar 
of  the  boil ;  and  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him 
clean. 

24  Or  when  the  flesh  hath  in  the  skin  thereof  a 
burning  by  fire,  and  the  quick  flesh  of  the  burn- 
ing  become    a    bright   spot,  reddish-while,  or 

25  white  ;  then  the  priest  shall  look  upon  it :  and, 
behold,  if  the  hair  in  the  bright  spot  be  turned 
white,  and  the  appearance  thereof  be  deeper 
than  the  skin  ;  it  is  leprosy,  it  hath  broken  out 
in  the  burning  :  and  the  priest  shall  pronounce 

26  him  unclean  :  it  is  the  plague  of  leprosy.  But  if 
the  priest  look  on  it,  and,  behold,  there  be  no 
white  hair  in  the  bright  spot,  and  it  be  no  lower 
than  the  skin,  but  be  dim  ;  then  the  priest  shall 

27  shut  him  up  seven  days:  and  the  priest  shall 
look  upon  him  the  seventh  day :  if  it  spread 
abroad  in  the  skin,  then  the  priest  shall  pro- 
nounce him  unclean  :  it  is  the  plague  of  leprosy. 

28  And  if  the  bright  spot  stay  in  its  place,  and  be 
not  spread  in  the  skin,  but  be  dim  ;  it  is  the  lis- 
ing  of  the  burning,  and  the  priest  shall  pro- 
nounce him  clean :  for  it  is  the  scar  of  the 
burning. 


has  healed  leaving  a  scar ;  or  perhaps  where,  as 
sometimes  happens,  the  tubercles  or  bullce  of 
elephantiasis  itself  seem  to  subside  and  leave  a 
scar,  and  in  the  scar  appears  a  rising  or  white 
or  reddish  spot.  The  decisive  mark  in  this,  as 
in  all  other  cases,  is  the  presence  of  white  hairs 
in  the  rising  or  spot  and  its  appearing  deeper 
than  the  scarf  skin.  This  at  once  decides  it  as 
leprosy.  Where  this  mark  does  not  occur  an- 
other sign  is  looked  for  after  the  patient  has 
been  secluded  for  seven  days,  namely,  whether 
the  disease  advances.  If  not,  the  priest  is  to 
consider  it  simply  the  scar  of  the  ulcer ;  but  if  it 
does,  the  patient  is  pronounced  unclean. 


Ch.  XIIL] 


LEVITICUS 


59 


29  If  a  man  or  woman  have  a  plague  upon  the 
head  or  the  beard  ; 

30  Then  the  priest  shall  see  the  plague  :  and,  be- 
hold, if  it  be  in  sight  deeper  than  the  skin  ;  a)ul  there 
be  in  it  a  yellow  thin  hair;  then  the  priest  shall 
pronounce  him  unclean:  it  is  a  dry  acaii.,  even  a 
leprosy  upon  the  head  or  beard. 

31  And  if  the  priest  look  on  the  plague  of  the 
scall,  and,  behold,  it  be  not  in  the  sight  deeper  than 
the  skin,  and  that  there  is  no  black  hair  in  it ;  then 
the  priest  shall  shut  up  him  that  hath  the  plague  of 
the  scall  seven  days  : 

32  And  in  the  seventh  day  the  priest  shall  look 
on  the  plague  :  and,  behold,  if  the  scall  spread  not, 
and  there  be  in  it  no  yellow  hair,  and  the  scall  be 
not  in  sight  deeper  than  the  skin  ; 

33  He  shall  be  shaven,  but  the  scall  shall  he  not 
shave ;  and  the  priest  shall  shut  up  hun  that  hath 
the  scall  seven  days  more  : 

34  And  in  the  seventh  day  the  priest  shall  look 
on  the  scall :  and,  behold,  if  the  scall  be  not  spread 
in  the  skin,  nor  be  in  sight  deeper  than  the  skin  ; 
then  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  clean  :  and  he 
shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  clean. 

35  But  if  the  scall  spread  much  in  the  skin  after 
his  cleansing ; 

36  Then  the  priest  shall  look  on  him :  and,  be- 
hold, if  the  scall  be  spread  in  the  skin,  the  priest 
shall  not  seek  for  yellow  hair  ;  he  is  unclean. 

37  But  if  the  scall  be  in  his  sight  at  a  stay,  and 
that  there  is  black  hair  grown  up  therein  ;  the  scall 
is  healed,  he  is  clean  :  and  the  priest  shall  pro- 
nounce him  clean. 

38  If  a  man  also  or  a  woman  have  in  the  skin  of 
their  flesh  bright  spots,  eveii  white  bright  spots  ; 

39  Then  the  priest  shall  look  :  and,  behold,  if  the 
bright  spots  in  the  skin  of  their  flesh  be  darkish 
white  ;  it  is  a  freckled  spot  that  growetli  in  the  skin  ; 
he  is  clean. 

40  And  the  man  whose  hair  is  fallen  off  his  head, 
he  IS  bald  ;  yet  is  he  clean. 

41  And  he  that  hath  his  hair  fallen  off  from  the 
part  of  his  head  toward  his  face,  he  is  forehead 
bald  :  yet  is  he  clean. 

42  And  if  there  be  in  the  bald  head,  or  bald  fore- 
head, a  white  reddish  sore  ;  it  is  a  leprosy  sprung 
up  in  his  bald  head,  or  his  bald  forehead. 

43  Then  the  priest  shall  look  upon  it :  and,  be- 
hold, if  the  rising  of  the  sore  be  white  reddish  in 
his  bald  head,  or  in  his  bald  forehead,  as  the  lep- 
rosy appeareth  in  the  skin  of  the  flesh  ; 


29  And  when  a  man  or  woman  hath  a  plague 

30  upon  the  liead  or  upon  the  beard,  tlien  the  priest 
sliall  look  on  the  plague:  and,  beh(jld,  if  the 
appearance  thereof  be  deeper  than  the  skin,  and 
there  be  in  it  yellow  thin  hair,  then  the  priest 
shall  pronounce  him  unclean  :  it  is  a  scall,  it  is 

31  leprosy  of  the  head  or  of  the  beard.  And  if  the 
priest  look  on  the  plague  of  the  scall,  and,  be- 
hold, the  appearance  thereof  be  not  deeper  than 
the  skin,  and  there  be  no  black  hair  in  it,  then  the 
priest  shall  shut  up  him  that  hath  the  plague  of  the 

32  scall  seven  days:  and  in  the  seventh  day  the 
priest  shall  look  on  the  plague:  and,  behold,  if 
the  scall  be  not  spread,  and  there  be  in  it  no 
yellow  hair,  and  the  appearance  of  the  scall  be 

33  not  deeper  tlian  the  skni,  then  he  shall  be 
shaven,  but  the  scall  shall  he  not  shave;  and 
the  priest  shall  shut  up  him  that  hath  the  scall 

34  seven  days  more:  and  in  the  seventh  day  the 
priest  shall  look  on  the  scall:  and,  behold,  if 
the  scall  be  not  spread  in  the  skin,  and  the  ap- 
pearance thereof  be  not  deeper  than  the  skin  ; 
then  the  priest  shall  pronounce  him  clean  :  and 

35  he  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  clean.  But  if 
the  scall  spread  abroad  in  the  skin  after  his 

36  cleansing  ;  then  the  priest  shall  look  on  him : 
and,  behold,  if  the  scall  be  spread  in  the  skin, 
the  priest  shall  not  seek  for  the  yellow  hair  ;  he 

37  is  unclean.  But  if  in  his  eyes  the  scall  be  at  a 
stay,  and  black  hair  be  grown  up  therein  ;  the 
scall  is  healed,  he  is  clean  :  and  the  priest  shall 
pronounce  him  clean. 

38  And  when  a  man  or  a  woman  hath  in  the  skin 
of  their  flesh   bright  spots,  even  white  bright 

39  spots;  then  tlie  priest  shall  look:  and,  behold, 
if  the  bright  spots  in  the  skin  of  their  flesh  be  of 
a  dull  white;  it  is  a  tetter,  it  hath  broken  out 
in  the  skin  ;  he  is  clean. 

40  And  if  a  man's  hair  be  fallen  off  his  head,  he 

41  is  bald  ;  yet  is  he  clean.  And  if  his  hair  be  fallen 
off  from  the  front  part  of  his  head,  he  is  forehead 

42  bald  ;  yet  is  he  clean.  But  if  there  be  in  the  bald 
head,  or  the  bald  forehead,  a  reddish-white 
plague;  it  is  leprosy  breaking  out  in  his  bald 

43  head,  or  his  bald  forehead.  Then  the  priest 
shall  look  upon  him  :  and,  behold,  if  the  rising 
of  the  plague  be  reddish-white  in  his  bald  head, 
or  in  his  bald  forehead,  as  the  appearance  of 


The  second  case  is  that  of  a  rising  or  white  or 
reddish  spot  appearing  in  a  simple  burn,  or  per- 
haps in  a  spot  affected  by  inflammation  result- 
ing from  disease  or  injury.  The  diagnosis  is 
made  precisely  as  in  the  other  case ;  it  being 
noticeable  that  in  both  of  the  eases  mentioned 
here  only  a  single  period  of  quarantine  is 
appointed  instead  of  two. 

29-37.  Leprosy  upon  the  head  or  chin. 
This  form  of  leprosy  was  distinguished  from 
leprosy  in  other  parts  of  the  body  under  the 
name,  pr\J,  neth?g,  somewhat  inexactly  trans- 
lated in  our  version  scall.  Its  chief  features  are 
like  those  of  ordinary  elephantiasis,  the  morbid 
affection  of  the  whole  depth  of  the  skin  and  the 
yellow  or  whitish  hairs.  It  is  recognized  by 
modern  writers  under  the  name  of  fox  mange. 
It  seems  somewhat  less  formidable  than  ordi- 
nary elephantiasis,  because  it  not  infrequently 
passes  away  after  a  period  of  months  or  years. 
In  making  his  diagnosis  the  priest,  as  in  ordi- 


nary cases,  was  to  look  for  an  affection  deeper 
than  the  skin  and  for  yellowish  or  whitish  hairs. 
If  these  did  not  appear  the  person  was  to  be 
isolated  for  seven  days,  and  if  at  the  end  of  that 
time  the  spot  still  remained  without  those  de- 
cisive signs  he  was  to  be  shaven  without  shaving 
the  nHheq.  At  the  end  of  this  second  perit)d,  if 
the  decisive  marks  were  still  absent,  he  might 
be  definitel}^  pronounced  clean;  but  if  the 
plague  spread  in  the  skin  the  patient  was  to  be 
pronounced  unclean  even  without  the  search  for 
yellow  hairs.  In  ver,  31  it  is  probal)le  that  the 
reading  ought  to  be  corrected  to  yellow  hair,  as 
in  the  Septuagint. 

38,  39.  Tetter.  In  these  verses  is  described 
the  harmless  pn.3,  hohdq,  still  called  by  the 
same  name  among  the  modern  Arabs,  and  by 
them  considered  harmless.  It  is  a  kind  of  ec- 
zema, which  causes  little  or  no  inconvenience 
and  lasts  from  two  months  to  two  years, 

40-44,    Leprosy  in  the   bald   head.      This 


60 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XIII. 


44  He  is  a  leprous  man,  he  is  unclean  :  the  priest 
shall  pronounce  him  utterly  unclean  ;  his  plague  is 
in  his  head. 

45  And  the  leper  in  whom  the  plague  is,  his 
clothes  shall  be  rent,  and  his  head  bare,  and  he 
shall  put  a  covering  upon  his  upper  lip,  and  shall 
cry.  Unclean,  unclean. 

4«5  All  the  days  wherein  the  plague  shall  be  in  him 
he  shall  be  defiled  ;  he  is  unclean  :  he  shall  dwell 
alone  ;  without  the  camp  shall  his  habitation  be. 

47  The  garment  also  that  the  plague  of  leprosy  is 
in,  whether  it  be  a  woollen  garment,  or  a  linen  gar- 
ment ; 

48  Whether  it  be  in  the  warp,  or  woof ;  of  linen, 
or  of  woollen  ;  whether  in  a  skin,  or  in  any  thing 
made  of  skin ; 

49  And  if  the  plague  be  greenish  or  reddish  in  the 
garment,  or  in  the  skin,  either  in  the  warp,  or  in 
tlie  woof,  or  in  any  thing  of  skin  ;  it  is  a  plague  of 
leprosy,  and  shall  be  shewed  unto  the  priest : 

50  And  the  priest  shall  look  upon  the  plague,  and 
shut  up  it  that  hath  the  plague  seven  days : 

51  And  he  shall  look  on  the  plague  on  the  seventh 
day  :  if  the  plague  be  spread  in  the  garment,  either 
in  the  warp,  or  in  the  woof,  or  in  a  skin,  oi-  in 
any  work  that  is  made  of  skin ;  the  plague  is  a 
fretting  leprosy  ;  it  is  unclean. 


44  leprosy  in  the  skin  of  the  flesh ;  he  is  a  leprous 
man,  he  is  uncleiin  :  the  priest  shall  surely  pro- 
nounce him  unclean  ;  his  plague  is  in  his  head. 

45  And  the  leper  in  whom  tne  plague  is,  his 
clothes  shall  be  rent,  and  the  hair  of  his  head 
shall  go  loose,  and  he  shall  cover  his  upper  lip, 

46  and  shall  cry,  Unclean,  unclean.  All  the  days 
wherein  the  plague  is  in  him  he  shall  be  un- 
clean ;  he  is  unclean :  he  shall  dwell  alone ; 
without  the  camp  shall  his  dwelling  be. 

47  The  garment  also  that  the  plague  of  leprosy  is 
in,  whether  it  be  a  woollen  garment,  or  a  linen 

48  garment;  whether  it  be  in  warp,  or  woof;  of 
linen,  or  of  woollen;   whether  in  a  skin,  or  in 

49  any  thing  made  of  skin  ;  if  the  plague  be  green- 
ish or  reddish  in  the  garment,  or  in  the  skin,  or 
in  the  warp,  or  in  the  woof,  or  in  any  thing  of 
skin  ;   it  is  the  plague  of  leprosy,  and  shall  be 

50  shewed  unto  the  priest :  and  the  priest  shall 
look  upon  the  plague,  and  shut  up  that  which 

51  hath  the  plague  seven  days:  and  he  shall  look 
on  the  plague  on  the  seventh  day  :  if  the  plague 
be  spread  in  the  garment,  either  in  the  warp,  or 
in  the  woof,  or  in  the  skin,  whatever  service 
skin  is  used  for ;  the  plague  is  a  fretting  leprosy  ; 


introduction  of  leprosy  of  the  bald  head  or  the 
bald  forehead  as  a  separate  case  occurs  appar- 
ently in  order  to  give  the  assurance  that  bald- 
ness in  itself  is  not  a  mark  of  unclean  disease, 
but  that  the  appearance  of  leprosy  in  the  bald 
head  or  the  bald  forehead  will  be  treated  as  in 
ordinary  cases. 

45,  46.  The  laio  for  the  confirmed  leper. 
The  leper  seems  to  have  been  considered  as  one 
upon  whom  death  had  got  hold,  and  he  therefore 
bore  the  usual  marks  of  mourning  for  the  dead 
(see  Ezek.  24  :  17).  "  Let  her  not  be  as  one  dead," 
cried  Aaron  to  the  Lord  regarding  his  leprous 
sister  Miriam  (Num.  12:12).  The  object  of  the 
separation  of  the  leper  from  the  common  inter- 
course of  life,  which  has  been  a  practice  com- 
mon to  nearly  all  nations  and  ages,  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  primarily  sanitary.  Leprosy 
is  only  very  slightly  contagious,  if  at  all.  But 
the  leper,  especially  as  his  disease  advanced, 
became  a  loathsome  and  hideous  sight — a  living 
example  of  death  in  life.  The  stroke  was  looked 
upon  as  a  direct  visitation  of  God.  It  was  be- 
cause Job  regarded  his  sudden  affliction  of  ele- 
phantiasis as  God  directly  punishing  him  that 
the  visitation  seemed  ethically  so  monstrous.  It 
Avas  because  his  friends  felt  him  to  be  an  object 
of  divine  resentment  that  they  so  zealously  urged 
him  to  repent  and  make  his  peace  with  God.  The 
hideousness  and  loathsomeness  of  the  disease  was 
a  sort  of  symbol  of  the  loathsomeness  of  moral 
depravity.  The  affliction  was  regarded  by  the 
Jews  as  distinctively  an  uncleanness  rather  than 
a  disease — a  polluting  thing  like  death.  Lepers 
were  counted  as  rendering  everything  unclean 
by  contact.  In  their  isolated  life  in  modern  Syria 
the  lepers  form  communities  (comp.  2  Kings  7:3; 


Luke  17 :  12)^  often  witli  a  simple  form  of  organiza- 
tion; and  their  participation  in  dreadful  mis- 
fortune swallows  up  all  differences  as  between 
Moslem  and  Christian  (comp.  Luke  17  :  16). 

47-59.  Leprosy  in  clothing  and  leather. 
Wool  and  flax  were  the  most  common  materials 
for  garments  among  the  Hebrews  (Hosea  2:9;  Prov. 
SI:  13).  As  to  the  warp  and  woof  being  distin- 
guishable in  any  spot  which  might  appear  in  a 
garment  (seever.  48)  the  following  note  from  the 
Polychrome  Bible  seems  reasonable:  "It  has 
been  objected  that  there  was  no  reason  why  the 
warp  and  the  woof  should  be  distinguished  here, 
and  that  one  could  not  be  affected  without  the 
other.  But  it  is  a  very  common  thing  for  the 
woof  of  cloth  to  be  so  thick,  that  a  spot  on  it 
would  not  touch  the  warp-thread  at  all,  and  vice 
versa.  Or  the  direction  in  which  the  spot  seemed 
to  run,  would  be  taken  as  indicating  that  the 
evil  was  in  the  warp  or  in  the  woof,  as  the  case 
might  be."  A  greenish  or  reddish  plague  in 
clothing  or  leather  was  to  be  shown  to  the  priest. 
The  priest  shut  it  up  seven  days,  and  if  at  the 
end  of  that  period  the  plague  was  found  to  have 
spread,  the  article  was  at  once  to  be  burned.  If 
it  had  not  spread,  the  suspected  article,  after 
washing,  was  to  be  shut  up  seven  days  more. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  if  the  plague  appeared 
faint  the  priest  was  to  tear  it  out  of  the  garment, 
but  if  it  still  presented  its  original  appeai-ance 
the  article  was  to  be  burned.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  plague  had  entirely  disappeared  the 
article  was  to  be  thoroughly  washed  the  second 
time  and  pronounced  clean. 

This  form  of  plague  in  clothing  when  it  was 
confirmed  was  called  a  malignant  or  fretting  lep- 
rosy (ver.  51, 52).    "What  was  its  nature  cannot  be 


Ch.  XIV.] 


LEVITICUS 


61 


52  He  shall  therefore  burn  that  garment,  whether 
warp  or  woof,  in  woollen  or  in  linen,  or  any  tiling 
of  skin,  wherein  the  plague  is:  for  it  is  a  fretting 
leprosy  ;  it  shall  be  burnt  in  the  fire. 

53  And  if  the  priest  shall  look,  and,  behold,  the 
plague  be  not  spread  in  the  garment,  either  in  the 
waip.  or  in  the  woof,  or  in  any  thing  of  skin  ; 

54  Then  the  priest  shall  command  that  they  wash 
the  thing  wherein  the  plague  is,  and  he  shall  shut  It 
up  seven  days  more  : 

55  And  the  priest  shall  look  on  the  plague,  after 
tliat  it  is  washed :  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  have 
not  changed  his  colour,  and  the  plague  be  noc 
spread  ;  it  is  unclean ;  thou  shalt  burn  it  in  the 
fire ;  it  is  fret  inward,  whether  it  be  bare  within  or 
without. 

56  And  if  the  priest  look,  and,  behold,  the  plague 
be  somewhat  dark  after  the  washing  of  it ;  then  he 
shall  rend  it  out  of  the  garment,  or  out  of  the  skin, 
or  out  of  the  warp,  or  out  of  the  woof : 

57  And  if  it  appear  still  in  the  garment,  either  in 
the  warp,  or  in  the  woof,  or  in  any  thing  of  skin  ; 
it  is  a  spreading  plague:  thou  shalt  burn  that 
wherein  the  plague  is  with  fire. 

58  And  the  garment,  either  warp,  or  woof,  or 
whatsoever  thing  of  skin  it  be,  which  thou  shalt 
wash,  if  the  plague  be  departed  from  them,  then  it 
shall  be  washed  the  second  time,  and  shall  be 
clean. 

59  This  is  the  law  of  the  plague  of  leprosy  in  a 
garment  of  woollen  or  linen,  either  in  the  warp,  or 
vvoof,  or  any  thing  of  skins,  to  pronounce  it  clean, 
or  to  pronounce  it  unclean. 


52  it  is  unclean.  And  he  shall  burn  the  garment, 
whether  the  warp  or  tlie  woof,  in  woollen  or 
in  linen,  or  any  thing  of  skin,  wherein  the 
plague  is  :  for  it  is  a  fretting  leprosy  ;  it  shall  be 

53  burnt  in  the  fire.  And  if  the  priest  shall  look, 
and,  behold,  the  plague  be  not  spread  in  the  gar- 
ment, either  in  the  warp,  or  in  the  woof,  or  in 

54  any  thing  of  skin  ;  then  the  priest  shall  com- 
mand that  they  wash  the  thing  wherein  the 
plague  is,  and  he  shall  shut  it  up  seven  days  more: 

55  and  the  priest  shall  look,  after  that  the  plague 
is  washed  :  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  have  not 
changed  its  colour,  and  the  plague  be  not  spread, 
it  is  unclean  ;  thou  shalt  burn  it  in  the  fire  :  it 
is  a  fret,  whether  the  bareness  be  within  or  with- 

56  out.  And  if  the  priest  look,  and,  belKjld,  the 
plague  be  dim  after  the  washing  thereof,  then 
he  shall  rend  it  out  of  the  garment,  or  out  of  the 

57  skin,  or  out  of  the  warp,  or  out  of  the  woof  :  and 
if  it  appear  still  in  the  garment,  either  in  tlie 
warp,  or  in  the  woof,  or  in  anything  of  skin, 
it  is  breaking  out :  thou  shalt  burn  that  wherein 

58  the  plague  is  with  fire.  And  the  garment,  either 
the  warp,  or  the  woof,  or  whatsoever  thing  of 
skin  it  be,  which  thou  shalt  wash,  if  the  plague 
be  departed  from  them,  then  it  shall  be  washed 

59  the  second  time,  and  shall  be  clean.  This  is  the 
law  of  the  plague  of  leprosy  in  a  garment  of 
woollen  or  linen,  either  in  the  warp,  or  the 
woof,  or  anything  of  skin,  to  pronounce  it  clean, 
or  to  pronounce  it  uncleau. 


precisely  determined,  but  it  was  probably  some 
kind,  or  perhaps  more  than  one  kind,  of  destruc- 
tive mildew.  There  is  nothing  said  about  its 
causing  any  contagion  of  leprosy  to  the  person 
wearing  the  garment,  and  the  reason  for  such 
solemn  and  severe  treatment  of  a  mere  article  of 
clothing,  and  indeed  the  whole  subject,  is  ob- 
scure. It  is  to  be  observed  that  no  religious  or 
symbolical  rite  is  prescribed  in  connection  with 
leprosy  in  clothing,  as  in  the  case  of  persons, 
and  even  houses  (i*  =  49-53). 


Chap.  14.  The  pfeification  of  the 
LEPER.  If  we  may  gauge  the  importance  of 
the  uncleanness  by  the  minuteness  of  the  rites 
which  follow  restoration,  we  should  estimate 
that  leprosy  was  regarded  as  the  most  momen- 
tous of  all  defilements.  Perhaps  some  of  this 
minuteness  of  ceremonial  may  be  due  to  the  ex- 
treme rarity  of  a  case  of  restoration.  That  a 
special  signification  was  attached  to  this  par- 
ticular form  of  uncleanness  is  evident  not  only 
from  the  rigid  exclusion  and  funereal  behavior 
of  the  patient,  suggestive  of  death,  but  from  the 
peculiar  nature  of  the  cerenaonies  connected  with 
recovery.  That  the  person  was  regarded  as 
having  been  under  the  direct  judgment  and  in- 
dignation of  God  is  indicated  by  the  guilt  offer- 
ing which  was  prescribed,  as  if  for  crime  or  de- 
linquency. That  the  diseased  state  was  thought 
of  as  having  a  special  effect  on  the  ecclesiastical 
or  priestly  standing  of  the  person  as  a  member 
of  the  sanctified  nation  is  suggested  by  the  cere- 


mony of  convsecration  with  blood  applied  to  ear, 
hand,  and  foot,  like  that  of  the  priests.  Or 
possibly  such  a  priestly  form  of  consecration 
may  suggest  the  special  gratitude  of  one  who,  in 
being  restored  from  leprosy,  has  been  virtually 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  thus  bound  by  incredi- 
ble divine  mercy  to  a  life  of  the  highest  sanctity. 
The  use  of  two  victims,  also,  a  dead  and  a  living 
one,  to  suggest  the  cleansing  and  the  carrying 
away  of  the  uncleanness,  was  a  ceremony  of 
special  solemnity  only  paralleled  by  the  scape- 
goat ceremony  of  the  great  Day  of  Atonement. 
No  other  form  of  sin  or  uncleanness  re- 
quired purificatory  rites  in  any  way  approach- 
ing these  in  elaborateness  and  variety  of  sug- 
gested meanings. 

The  later  rabbinical  refinements  on  these 
regulations  placed  especial  restrictions  on  the 
priest  in  his  examination  of  the  restored  person 
preparatory  to  pronouncing  him  clean.  The 
examination  was  not  to  take  place  on  the  Sab- 
bath, nor  in  the  early  morning,  nor  in  the  late 
afternoon,  nor  inside  a  house,  nor  on  a  cloudy 
day,  nor  in  the  glare  of  midday  ;  and  the  priest 
must  have  good  eyesight  and  only  determine 
one  case  at  a  time,  and  he  was  not  allowed  to 
pass  judgment  on  one  of  his  own  kindred.  Such 
evident  fear  of  the  possibility  of  admitting  a 
man  to  the  privileges  of  ordinary  life  who  was 
not  worthy  of  them  shows  that  the  development 
of  the  Jewish  conscience,  under  the  influence  of 
ceremonialism,  was  predominantly  in  the  direc- 
tion of  intolerance  of  defilement,  rather  than  in 


62 


LEVITICUS 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  This  shall  be  the  law  of  the  leper  in  tlie  day  of 
his  cleansing  :  He  shall  be  brought  unto  the  priest : 

3  And  the  priest  shall  go  forth  out  of  the  camp ; 
and  the  priest  shall  look,  and,  behold,  //  the  plague 
of  leprosy  be  healed  in  the  leper  ; 

4  Then  shall  the  priest  command  to  take  for  him 
that  is  to  be  cleansed  two  birds  alive  cmd  clean,  and 
cedar  wood,  and  scarlet,  and  hyssop: 

5  And  the  priest  shall  command  that  one  of  the 
birds  be  killed  in  an  earthen  vessel  over  running 
water: 

6  As  for  the  living  bird,  he  shall  take  it,  and  the 
cedar  wood,  and  the  scarlet,  and  the  hyssop,  and 
shall  dip  them  and  the  living  bird  in  the  blood  of 
the  bird  that  was  killed  over  the  running  water  : 

7  And  he  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to  be 
cleansed  from  the  leprosy  seven  times,  and  shall 
pronounce  him  clean,  and  shall  let  the  living  bird 
loose  into  the  open  field. 

8  And  he  that  is  to  be  cleansed  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  shave  off  all  his  hair,  and  wash  him- 
self in  water,  that  he  may  be  clean  :  and  after  that 
he  shall  come  into  the  camp,  and  shall  tarry  abroad 
out  of  his  tent  seven  days. 

9  But  it  shall  be  on  the  seventh  day,  that  he  shall 
shave  all  his  hair  off  his  head  and  his  beard  and 
his  eyebrows,  even  all  his  hair  he  shall  shave  off: 
and  he  shall  wash  his  clothes,  also  he  shall  wash 
his  flesh  in  water,  and  he  shall  be  clean. 

10  And  on  the  eighth  day  he  shall  take  two  he 
lambs  without  blemish,  and  one  ewe  lamb  of  the 
first  year  without  blemish,  and  three  tenth  deals  of 
fine  flour /or  a  meat  offering,  mingled  with  oil,  and 
one  log  of  oil. 


1  AND    the   Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

2  This  shall  be  the  law  of  the  leper  in  the  day  of 
his  cleansing:    he  shall   be   brought  unto  the 

3  priest :  and  the  priest  shall  go  forth  out  of  the 
camp;  and  the  priest  shall  look,  and,  behold,  if 
the  plague  of  leprosy  be  healed  in  the  leper ; 

4  then  shall  the  priest  command  to  take  for  him 
that  is  to  be  cleansed  two  living  clean  birds,  and 

5  cedar  wood,  and  scarlet,  and  hyssop:  and  the 
priest  shall  command  to  kill  one  of  the  birds  in 

6  an  earthen  vessel  over  running  water :  as  for  the 
living  bird,  he  shall  take  it,  and  the  cedar  wood, 
and  the  scarlet,  and  the  hyssop,  and  shall  dip 
them  and  the  living  bird  in  the  blood  of  the 
bird  that  was  killed  over  the  running  water: 

7  and  he  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to  be 
cleansed  from  the  leprosy  seven  times,  and  shall 
pronounce  him  clean,  and  shall  let  go  the  living 

8  bird  into  the  open  field.  And  he  that  is  to  be 
cleansed  shall  wasli  his  clothes,  and  shave  off 
all  his  hair,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  he 
shall  be  clean  :  and  after  that  he  shall  come  into 
the  camp,  but  shall  dwell  outside  his  tent  seven 

9  days.  And  it  shall  be  on  the  seventh  day,  that 
he  shall  shave  all  his  hair  off  his  head  and  his 
beard  and  his  eyebrows,  even  all  his  hair  he 
shall  shave  off :  and  he  shall  wash  his  clothes, 
and  he  shall  bathe  his  flesh  in  water,  and  he 

10  shall  be  clean.  And  on  the  eighth  day  he  shall 
take  two  he-lambs  without  blemish,  and  one 
ewe-lamb  of  the  flrst  year  without  blemish,  and 
three  tenth  parts  of  an  epfiah  of  fine  flour  for  a 
meal  offering,  mingled  with  oil,  and  one  log  of 


the  more  positive  direction  of  encouragement  to 
sanctity. 

1-3.    This   seems  to  be  addressed  to  Moses 
alone.    2.  Brought  unto  the  priest,  i.  e., 

to  a  rendezvous  without  the  camp  wliere  the 
priest  could  meet  and  examine  him.  The  cere- 
mony of  cleansing  was  two-fold,  the  one  part  be- 
ing without  the  camp  and  qualifying  the  re- 
stored man  to  come  within  the  camp  and  mingle 
Willi  his  brethren,  while  the  second  part,  per- 
formed in  the  court  of  the  tabernacle,  restored 
the  man  to  sanctuary  privileges. 

4-8.  The  rites  performed  without  the  camp. 
The  two  birds — D'"13V,  tsipporim,  a  terra  cover- 
ing any  of  the  smaller  birds — were  provided  by 
the  priest  and  were  not  a  sacrifice  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word,  as  they  were  not  brought  to 
the  altar.  The  water  and  scarlet  and  hyssop 
are  mentioned  by  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews  (Heb.  9  :  i9,  20)  in  describing  the  rite 
spoken  of  in  Exod.  24  :  6,  and  the  three  sub- 
stances here  named  seemed  to  have  been  much 
used  in  rites  of  purification.  The  scarlet  was 
probably  a  band  of  wool  dyed  with  "worm- 
crimson,"  with  which  the  cedar  and  the  hyssop 
were  tied  together.  There  is  much  diiference  of 
opinion  as  to  what  plant  is  meant  by  the  He- 
brew word  !3T^?,  'ezdbh,  Greek,  vo-o-ujTro?,  or  hyssop. 
It  was  the  plant  with  which  the  blood  of  the 
paschal  lamb  was  sprinkled  on  the  door-post 


(Exod.  12  :  22)  ;  it  was  a  plant  of  low  growth, 
furnishing  a  contrast  to  the  cedar  of  Lebanon, 
and  it  grew  on  walls  (1  Kings  4  :33),  and  yet  ac- 
cording to  John  19  :  29  its  stem  might  be  a  stick 
of  considerable  length.  It  was  probably  either 
the  caper  plant,  or  still  more  likely,  the  plant 
found  in  Syria  classified  as  origanum  maru. 

The  two  birds  perhaps  symbolized  the  leper 
in  his  state  of  defilement,  or  constructive  death, 
and  in  his  restoration  ;  or,  more  likely,  they 
may  have  been  the  double  means  of  enacting  the 
cleansing  of  the  leper  and  the  carrying  away  of 
the  divine  displeasure.  There  is  only  one  other 
ceremony  mentioned  in  the  law  where  two 
creatures,  a  slain  and  a  living  one,  go  to  make 
up  a  single  type,  and  that  is  the  ceremony  of 
the  two  sacrificial  goats  on  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment (see  16  :  5,  7-10). 

9-32.  The  rites  in  the  court  of  the  taber- 
nacle. The  restored  man  prepared  himself  for 
these  rites  by  shaving  all  the  hair  off  from  his 
body  and  washing  himself  and  his  garments, 
after  having  been  in  the  camp  seven  days.  The 
three-tenth  parts  of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour 
amounted  to  something  over  ten  pints  and  a 
half.  The  term  log  as  a  measure  occurs  only  in 
tills  chapter  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  log  "  is 
said  to  have  been  the  twelfth  part  of  a  hin,  and 
was  computed  by  the  rabbis  to  be  the  size  of  six 
eggs,  about  five-sixths  of  a  pint."     The  three 


Ch.  XIV.] 


LEVITICUS 


63 


11  And  the  priest  that  maketh  Imn  clean  shall 
present  the  mun  that  is  to  be  made  clean,  and  those 
things,  before  the  Lurd,  at  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation  : 

12  And  the  priest  shall  take  one  he  lamb,  and 
offer  him  for  a  trespass  offering,  and  the  log  of  oil, 
and  wave  them /or  a  wave  oft'ering  before  the  Lord  : 

13  And  he  shall  slay  the  lamb  in  tlie  place  where 
he  shall  kill  the  sin  offering  and  the  burnt  offering, 
in  the  holy  place:  for  as  the  sin  offering  is  the 
priest's,  so  is  the  trespass  offering  :  it  is  most  holy  : 

14  And  the  priest  shall  take  some  of  the  blood  of 
the  trespass  offering,  and  the  priest  shall  put  it  upon 
the  tip  of  the  rightear  of  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed, 
and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon 
the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot: 

15  And  the  priest  shall  take  some  of  the  log  of  oil, 
and  pour  it  into  the  palm  of  his  own  left  hand  : 

16  And  the  priest  shall  dip  his  right  linger  in  the 
oil  that  is  in  his  left  hand,  and  shall  sprinkle  of  the 
oil  with  his  finger  seven  times  before  the  Lord  : 

17  And  of  the  rest  of  tlie  oil  that  is  in  his  hand 
shall  the  priest  put  upon  the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of 
him  that  is  to  be  cleansed,  and  upon  the  thumb  of 
his  right  hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe  of  his  right 
foot,  upon  the  blood  of  the  trespass  offering : 

18  And  the  remnant  of  the  oil  that  is  in  the 
priest's  hand  he  shall  pour  upon  the  head  of  him 
that  is  to  be  cleansed  :  and  the  priest  shall  make 
an  atonement  for  him  before  the  Lord, 

19  And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  sin  offering,  and 
make  an  atonement  for  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed 
from  his  uncleanness ;  and  afterward  he  shall  kill 
the  burnt  offering : 

20  And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  burnt  offering 
and  the  meat  offering  upon  tlie  altar :  and  the 
priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  him,  and  he 
shall  be  clean. 

21  And  if  he  be  poor,  and  cannot  get  so  much ; 
then  he  shall  take  one  lamb  for  a  trespass  offering 
to  be  waved,  to  make  an  atonement  for  him,  and 
one  tenth  deal  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a 
meat  offering,  and  a  log  of  oil ; 

22  And  two  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons, 
such  as  he  is  able  to  get ;  and  the  one  shall  be  a  sin 
offering,  and  the  other  a  burnt  offering. 

23  And  he  shall  bring  them  on  the  eighth  day  for 
his  cleansing  unto  the  priest,  unto  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  before  the  Lord. 

24  And  the  priest  shall  take  the  lamb  of  the  tres- 
pass offering,  and  the  log  of  oil,  and  the  priest  shall 
wave  them /or  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord  : 

25  And  he  shall  kill  the  lamb  of  the  trespass 
offering,  and  the  priest  shall  take  some  of  the  blood 
of  the  trespass  offering,  and  put  it  upon  the  tip  of 
the  right  ear  of  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed,  and 
upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon  the 
great  toe  of  his  right  foot : 


11  oil.  And  the  priest  that  cleanseth  him  shall  set 
the  man  that  is  to  be  cleansed,  and  those  things, 
before  the  Lord,  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 

12  ing  :  and  the  priest  shall  take  one  of  the  he- 
lambs,  and  offer  him  for  a  guilt  ott'ering,  and  the 
log  of  oil,  and   wave  them  for  a  wave  ottering 

13  before  the  Lord  :  and  lie  shall  kill  the  he-lamb 
in  the  place  where  they  kill  the  sin  offering  and 
the  burnt  offering,  in  the  place  of  the  sanctuary  : 
for  as  the  sin  olfering  is  the  priest's,  so  is  the 

14  guilt  offering :  it  is  most  holy  :  and  the  priest 
shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the  guilt  offering,  and 
the  priest  shall  put  it  upon  the  tip  of  the  right 
ear  of  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed,  and  upon  the 
thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe 

15  of  his  right  foot :  and  the  priest  shall  take  of  the 
log  of  oil,  and  pour  it  into  the  palm  of  his  own 

16  left  hand  :  and  the  priest  shall  dip  his  right 
finger  in  the  oil  that  is  in  his  left  hand,  and  shall 
sprinkle  of  the  oil  with  his  hnger  seven  times 

17  before  the  Lord  :  and  of  the  rest  of  the  oil  that 
is  in  his  hand  shall  the  priest  put  up(^n  the  tip 
of  the  right  ear  of  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed, 
and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand,  and  upon 
the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot,  upon  the  blood  of 

18  the  guilt  offering  :  and  the  rest  of  the  oil  that  is 
in  the  priest's  hand  he  shall  put  upon  the  head 
of  him  that  is  to  be  clean.sed  :  and  the  priest 
shall  make  atonement  for  him  before  the  Lord. 

19  And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  sin  offering,  and 
make  atonement  for  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed 
because  of  his  uncleanness ;  and  afterward  he 

20  shall  kill  the  burnt  offering :  and  the  priest 
shall  offer  the  burnt  offering  and  the  meal  otter- 
ing upon  the  altar:  and  the  priest  shall  make 
atonement  lor  him,  and  he  shall  be  clean. 

21  And  if  he  be  poor,  and  cannot  get  so  much, 
then  he  shall  take  one  he-lamb  for  a  guilt  offer- 
ing to  be  waved,  to  make  atonement  for  him,  and 
one  tenth  part  of  an  ephah  of  tine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meal  offering,  and  a  log  of  oil ; 

22  and  two  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons,  such 
as  he  is  able  to  get:  and  the  one  shall  be  a  sin 

23  offering,  and  the  other  a  burnt  offeri  ng.  And  on 
the  eighth  day  he  shall  bring  them  for  his  cleans- 
ing unto  the  priest,  unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of 

24  meeting,  before  the  Lord.  And  the  priest  shall 
take  the  lamb  of  the  guilt  offering,  and  the  log 
of  oil,  and  the  priest  shall  wave  them  for  a  wave 

25  offering  before  the  Lord:  and  he  shall  kill  the 
lamb  of  the  guilt  offering,  and  the  priest  shall 
take  of  the  blood  of  the  guilt  offering,  and  put 
it  upon  the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of  him  that  is  to 
be  cleansed,  and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right 
hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot : 


victims  provided  (ver.  lo)  were  for  a  guilt  offer- 
ing, a  sin  offering,  and  a  burnt  offering.  Tliat 
a  guilt  offering  should  be  waved  (ver.  12)  in  token 
of  consecration  (see  on  7:28-34)  is  explained  in 
ver.  13  by  the  fact  that  it  was  sacred  to  the 
priest's  use.  The  guilt  offering  was  required 
when  the  rights  of  others,  whether  of  Jehovah 
or  of  a  fellow-man,  had  been  violated,  and  was 
usually  accompanied  by  restitution  (see5:i4-i6 
and  note).  It  is  somewhat  diffirult  to  see  exactly 
how  a  guilt  offering  could  be  required  in  this 
case.  The  leper  could  hardly  be  held  responsi- 
ble for  the  services  and  offerings  withheld  from 
a  sanctuary  to  which  he  was  incapalile  of  hold- 
ing any  relation.  For  a  similar  protracted  ex- 
clusion from  the  temple  services  in  the  case  of 


the  one  unclean  on  account  of  secretions  no 
guilt  offering  is  prescribed.  From  the  fact  that 
the  leper  on  his  recovery  had  to  be  restored  to 
the  sanctuary  in  a  manner  similar  to  the  con- 
secration of  a  priest,  it  seems  likely  that  his 
affliction,  as  a  direct  mark  of  God's  anger,  was 
felt  somehow  to  he  a  matter  requiring  to  be 
dealt  with  throughout  on  a  higher  or  more 
sacred  level  than  ordinary  uncleanness.  The 
lej)er  was  the  direct  object  of  Jehovah's  atten- 
tion, and  so  his  case  fell  specifically  within  the 
sphere  of  the  sanctuary.  His  sacred  character 
was  entirely  destroyed  by  the  divine  blow,  so 
that  a  satisfaction  must  be  made  to  Jehovah  by  a 
guilt  offering,  as  if  for  violation  or  damage  to 
the  sanctuary.    The  Nazarite  was  also  directly 


64 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XIV. 


26  And  the  priest  shall  pour  of  the  oil  into  the 
palm  of  his  own  k-t't  hand  : 

27  And  the  priest  sliall  sprinkle  with  his  right 
finger  some  of  the  oil  that  is  in  his  left  hand  seven 
times  before  the  Lord  : 

28  And  the  priest  shall  put  of  the  oil  that  is  in 
his  hand  upon  the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of  him  that 
is  to  be  cleansed,  and  upon  the  thumb  of  his  right 
hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe  of  his  right  foot,  upon 
the  place  of  the  blood  of  the  trespass  offering  : 

29  And  the  rest  of  the  oil  that  is  in  the  priest's 
hand  he  shall  put  upon  the  head  of  him  that  is  to 
be  cleansed,  to  make  an  atonement  for  iiim  before 
the  Lord. 

30  And  he  sliall  offer  the  one  of  the  turtledoves, 
or  of  the  young  pigeons,  such  as  he  can  get ; 

31  Eren  such  as  he  is  able  to  get,  the  one  for  a  sin 
offering,  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  with 
the  meat  offering  :  and  the  priest  shall  make  an 
atonement  for  him  that  is  to  be  cleansed  before  the 
Lord. 

32  This  is  the  law  of  him  in  whom  is  the  plague  of 
leprosy,  whose  hand  is  not  able  to  get  that  which 
pertaineth  to  his  cleansing. 

33  And  tlie  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 
Aaron,  saying, 

34  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land  of  Canaan, 
which  I  give  to  you  for  a  possession,  and  I  put  the 
plague  of  leprosy  in  a  house  of  the  land  of  your 
possession ; 

35  And  he  that  owneth  the  house  shall  come  and 
tell  the  priest,  saying,  It  seemeth  to  me  there  is  as  it 
were  a  plague  in  the  house  : 

36  Then  the  priest  shall  command  that  they 
empty  the  house,  before  the  priest  go  into  it  to  see 
the  plague,  that  all  that  is  in  the  house  be  not  made 
unclean :  and  afterward  the  priest  shall  go  in  to 
see  the  house : 

37  And  he  shall  look  on  the  plague,  and,  behold, 
if  the  plague  be  in  the  walls  of  the  house  with  hol- 
low strakes,  greenish  or  reddish,  which  in  sight  are 
lower  than  the  wall  ; 

38  Then  the  priest  shall  go  out  of  the  house  to  the 
door  of  the  house,  and  shut  up  the  house  seven 
days : 

39  And  the  priest  shall  come  again  the  seventh 
day,  and  shall  look:  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be 
spread  in  the  walls  of  the  house  ; 


'26  and  the  priest  shall  pour  of  the  oil  into  the  palm 

27  of  his  own  left  hand  :  and  the  priest  shall  sprin- 
kle with  his  right  finger  some  of  the  oil  that  is 
in  his  left  hand  seven  times  before  the  Lord  : 

28  and  the  priest  shall  put  of  the  oil  that  is  in  his 
hand  upon  the  tip  of  the  right  ear  of  him  that 
is  to  be  cleansed,  and  upon  the  thumb  of  his 
right  hand,  and  upon  the  great  toe  of  his  right 
foot,  upon  the  place  of  the  blood  of  the  guilt 

29  offering:  and  the  rest  of  the  oil  that  is  in  the 
priest's  hand  he  shall  put  upon  the  head  of  him 
that  is  to  be  cleansed,  to  make  atonement  for 

30  him  before  the  Lord.  And  he  shall  offer  one  of 
the  turtledoves,  or  of  the  young  pigeons,  such  as 

31  he  is  able  to  get ;  even  such  as  he  is  able  to  get, 
the  one  for  a  sin  offering,  and  the  other  for  a 
burnt  offering,  with  the  meal  offering  :  aiid  the 
priest  shall  make  atonement  for  him  that  is  to 

32  be  cleansed  before  the  Lord.  This  is  the  law  of 
him  in  whom  is  the  plague  of  leprosy,  who  is  not 
able  to  get  that  which  pertaineth  to  his  cleansing. 

33  And  the  Lord  spake  unto   Moses  and  unto 

34  Aaron,  saying,  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land 
of  Canaan,  which  I  give  to  you  for  a  possession, 
and  I  put  the  plague  of  leprosy  in  a  house  of  the 

35  land  of  your  possession ;  then  he  that  owneth 
the  house  shall  come  and  tell  the  priest,  saying, 
There  seemeth  to  me  to  be  as  it  were  a  plague  in 

36  the  house :  and  the  priest  shall  command  that 
they  empty  the  house,  before  the  priest  go  in  to 
see  the  plague,  that  all  that  is  in  the  house  be 
not  made  unclean  :   and  afterward  the  priest 

37  shall  go  in  to  see  the  house :  and  he  shall  look 
on  the  plague,  and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be  in 
the  walls  of  the  house  with  hollow  strakes,  green- 
ish or  reddish,  and  the  appearance  thereof  be 

38  lower  than  the  wall ;  then  the  priest  shall  go  out 
of  the  house  to  the  door  of  the  house,  and  shut 

39  up  the  house  seven  days :  and  the  priest  shall 
come  again  the  seventh  day,  and  shall  look : 
and,  behold,  if  the  plague  be  spread  in  the  walls 


under  Jehovah's  attention,  through  his  special 
consecration,  and  his  character  and  sliortcom- 
ings  were  in  a  similar  way  estimated  from  the 
sanctuary  level.  We  have  already  seen  that 
the  common  level  of  life,  which  was  for  ordinary 
persons  entirely  innocent,  was  for  him  or  for  the 
intending  priest  sinful  and  needed  a  sin  offering. 
A  Nazarite  who  had  been  defiled  by  the  dead 
was,  like  the  restored  leper,  required  to  present 

a  guilt  offering  (see  Num.  6  :  11,  12), 

This  ceremony,  particularly  in  the  application 
of  the  blood  and  the  oil  to  the  ear,  the  thumb, 
and  the  toe,  resembled  the  disposal  of  the  blood 
of  tlie  ram  of  consecration  in  the  case  of  Aaron 
and  his  sons  on  their  induction  into  ofiice  (see  8  : 
23,  24)  and  may  possibly  point  to  the  restored 
,  leper's  reinstatement  as  a  member  of  the  priestly 
nation. 

In  the  case  of  the  person  who  was  too  poor  to 
afford  these  sacrifices  only  the  he-lamb  for  the 
guilt  offering  was  required,  while  the  sin  and 
burnt  offerings  might  be  of  turtle-doves  or  young 
pigeons.     The  meal  offering  of  fine  flour  was 


only  one-third  the  usual  quant' ty  for  such  cases, 
though  the  quantity  of  oil  remained  unchanged. 
33-53.  Leprosy  in  a  house.  This  part  is  ad- 
dressed to  both  Moses  and  Aaron.  It  is  dis- 
tinguished from  the  rest  of  the  section  on  leprosy 
in  that  it  is  wholly  prospective,  i.  e.,  adapted  to 
the  time  when  the  children  of  Israel  should  have 
settled  dwellings  in  the  Promised  Land.  The  sub- 
ject-matter of  this  section  would  come  in  more 
naturally  at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter.  What 
the  plague  of  leprosy  in  a  house  was  is  not  known, 
and  any  assertion  with  regard  to  it  is  pure  conjec- 
ture. It  was  evidently  not  anything  which  could 
infect  persons  with  leprosy,  since  those  who  went 
into  the  house  (ver.  46)  or  ate  or  slept  in  it  (^er.  47) 
simply  contracted  an  ordinary  ceremonial  un- 
cleanness  which  passed  away  that  night  on  their 
washing  themselves  or  their  clothes.  The  fur- 
niture, moreover,  was  not  rendered  unclean  by 
the  house  leprosy  unless  it  remained  in  the  house 
after  the  priest  had  inspected  it  (ver.  sr).  It  was 
perhaps  some  form  of  decay,  or  some  parasitic 
growth  that  was  familiarly  known. 


Ch.  XV.] 


LEVITICUS 


65 


40  Then  the  priest  shall  command  that  they  take 
away  the  stones  in  which  the  plague  is,  and  they 
shall  cast  them  into  an  unclean  place  without  the 
city: 

41  And  he  shall  cause  the  house  to  be  scraped 
within  round  about,  and  they  shall  pour  out  the 
dust  that  they  scrape  off  without  the  city  into  an 
unclean  place: 

42  And  they  shall  take  other  stones,  and  put  them 
in  the  place  of  those  stones  ;  and  he  shall  take  other 
morter,  and  shall  plaister  the  house. 

43  And  if  the  plague  come  again,  and  break  out 
in  the  house,  after  that  he  hath  taken  away  the 
stones,  and  after  he  hath  scraped  the  house,  and 
after  it  is  plaistered  ; 

44  Then  the  priest  shall  come  and  look,  and,  be- 
hold, if  the  plague  be  spread  in  the  house,  it  is  a 
fretting  leprosy  in  the  house  :  it  is  unclean. 

45  And  he  shall  break  down  the  house,  the  stones 
of  it,  and  the  timber  thereof,  and  all  the  morter  of 
the  house  ;  and  he  shall  carry  them  forth  out  of  the 
city  into  an  unclean  place. 

46  Moreover  he  that  goeth  into  the  house  all  the 
while  that  it  is  shut  up  shall  be  unclean  until  the 
even. 

47  And  he  that  lieth  in  the  house  shall  wash  his 
clothes  ;  and  he  that  eateth  in  the  house  shall  wash 
his  clothes. 

48  And  if  the  priest  shall  come  in,  and  look?<pore 
it,  and,  behold,  the  plague  hath  not  spread  in  the 
house,  after  the  house  was  plaistered :  then  the 
priest  shall  pronounce  the  house  clean,  because  the 
plague  is  healed. 

49  And  he  shall  take  to  cleanse  the  house  two 
birds,  and  cedar  wood,  and  scarlet,  and  hyssop: 

50  And  he  shall  kill  the  one  of  the  birds  in  an 
earthen  vessel  over  running  water : 

51  And  he  shall  take  the  cedar  wood,  and  the 
hyssop,  and  the  scarlet,  and  the  living  bird,  and 
dip  them  in  the  blood  of  the  slain  bird,  and  in  the 
running  water,  and  sprinkle  the  house  seven  times  : 

52  And  he  shall  cleanse  the  house  with  the  blood 
of  the  bird,  and  with  the  running  water,  and  with 
the  living  bird,  and  with  the  cedar  wood,  and  with 
the  hyssop,  and  with  the  scarlet: 

53  But  he  shall  let  go  the  living  bird  out  of  the 
city  into  the  open  fields,  and  make  an  atonement 
for  the  house :  and  it  shall  be  clean. 

54  This  is  the  law  for  all  manner  of  plague  of 
leprosy,  and  scall, 

55  And  for  the  leprosy  of  a  garment,  and  of  a 
house, 

56  And  for  a  rising,  and  for  a  scab,  and  for  a 
bright  spot : 

57  To  teach  when  it  is  unclean,  and  when  it  is 
clean :  this  is  the  law  of  leprosy. 


40  of  the  house  ;  then  the  priest  shall  command 
that  they  take  out  the  stones  in  which  the  plague 
is,  and  cast  them  into  an  unclean  place  without 

41  the  city  :  and  he  shall  cause  the  house  to  be 
scraped  within  round  about,  and  they  shall  pour 
out  the  mortar  that  they  scrape  off  without  tiie 

42  city  into  an  unclean  place :  and  they  shall  take 
other  stones,  and  put  them  in  the  place  of  those 
stones  ;  and  he  shall  take  other  mortar,  and  shall 

43  plaister  the  house.  And  if  the  plague  come 
again,  and  break  out  in  the  house,  after  that  he 
hath  taken  out  the  stones,  and  after  he  hath 

44  scraped  the  house,  and  after  it  is  plaistered  ;  then 
the  priest  shall  come  in  and  look,  and,  behold, 
if  tlie  plague  be  spread  in  the  house,  it  is  a  fret- 

45  ting  leprosy  in  the  house :  it  is  unclean.  And 
he  shall  break  down  the  house,  the  stones  of  it, 
and  the  timber  thereof ,  and  all  the  mortar  of  the 
house  ;  and  he  shall  carry  them  forth  out  of  the 

46  city  into  an  unclean  place.  Moreover  he  that 
goeth  into  the  house  all  the  while  that  it  is  shut 

47  up  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even.  And  he 
that  lieth  in  tlie  house  shall  wash  his  clothes  ; 
and  he  that  eateth  in  the  house  shall  wash  his 

48  clothes.  And  if  the  priest  shall  come  in,  and 
look,  and,  behold,  the  plague  hath  not  spread 
in  the  house,  after  the  house  was  plaistered ; 
then  the  priest  shall  pronounce  the  house  clean, 

49  because  the  plague  is  healed.  And  he  shall  take 
to  cleanse  the  house  two  birds,  and  cedar  wood, 

50  and  scarlet,  and  hyssop :  and  he  shall  kill  one 
of  the  birds  in  an  earthen  vessel  over  running 

51  water:  and  he  shall  take  the  cedar  wood,  and 
the  hyssop,  and  the  scarlet,  and  the  living  bird, 
and  dip  them  in  the  blood  of  the  slain  bird,  and 
in  the  running  water,   and  sprinkle  the  house 

52  seven  times :  and  he  shall  cleanse  the  house  with 
the  blood  of  the  bird,  and  with  the  running 
water,  and  with  the  living  bird,  and  with  the 
cedar  wood,  and  with  the  hyssop,  and  with  the 

53  scarlet :  but  he  shall  let  go  the  living  bird  out  of 
the  city  into  the  open  field :  so  shall  he  make 
atonement  for  the  house  :  and  it  shall  be  clean. 

54  This  is  the  law  for  all  manner  of  plague  of 

55  leprosy,  and  for  a  scall ;  and  for  the  leprosy  of  a 

56  garment,  and  for  a  house  ;  and  for  a  rising,  and 

57  for  a  scab,  and  for  a  bright  spot :  to  teach  when 
it  is  unclean,  and  when  it  is  clean  :  this  is  the 
law  of  leprosy. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  to  Aaron, 
saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  any  man  hath  a  running  issue  out  of 
his  flesh,  because  of  his  issue  he  is  unclean. 

3  And  this  shall  be  his  uncleanness  in  his  issue  : 
whether  his  flesh  run  with  his  issue,  or  his  flesh  be 
stopped  from  his  issue,  it  is  his  uncleanness. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  to  Aaron, 

2  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
say  unto  them,  When  any  man  hath  an  issue  out 
of  his  flesh,  because  of  his  issue  he  is  unclean. 

3  And  this  shall  be  his  uncleanness  in  his  issue: 
whether  his  flesh  run  with  his  issue,  or  his  flesh 
be  stopped  from  his  issue,  it  is  his  uncleanness. 


The  steps  taken  to  cleanse  the  house  after  the 
disease  had  yielded  to  scraping  and  re-plaster- 
ing were  exactly  those  taken  with  the  leper 
while  still  outside  the  camp.  This  cleansing  is 
called  (ver.  49,  52)  freeing  from  sin  (Heb.),  and  in 
ver.  53  the  priest  is  said  to  make  atonement  for 
the  house,  as  if  in  some  symbolic  way  it  were 
guilty  of  a  moral  offense. 

54-57.  Subscription  to  the  whole.  The  main 
intent  of  this  law  was  to  teach  the  priest  how  to 


read  the  first  obscure  symptoms  which  might  ac- 
company leprosy — when  these  indicated  un- 
cleanness and  when  not ;  literally,  in  the  day  of 
uncleanness  and  in  the  day  of  cleanness. 


Chap.  15.  Uncleanness  from  secre- 
tions. 1-18.  Uncleanness  in  the  male.  The 
running  issue  referred  to  in  ver.  1-15  is  the  re- 
sult of  a  diseased  condition,  and  therefore  the 
steps  to  be  taken  when  the  person  is  restored 


66 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XV. 


4  Every  bed,  whereon  he  lieth  that  hath  the  issue, 
is  unclean :  and  every  thing,  whereon  he  sitteth, 
shall  be  unclean. 

5  And  whosoever  toucheth  his  bed  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean 
until  the  even. 

6  And  he  that  sitteth  on  ayiy  thing  whereon  he 
sat  that  hath  the  issue  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and 
bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the 
even. 

7  And  he  that  toucheth  the  flesh  of  him  that  hath 
the  issue  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself 
in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

8  And  if  he  that  hath  the  issue  spit  upon  him 
that  is  clean  ;  then  he  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and 
bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the 
even. 

9  And  what  saddle  soever  he  rideth  upon  that 
hath  the  issue  shall  be  unclean, 

10  And  whosoever  toucheth  any  thing  that  was 
under  him  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even  :  and  he 
that  beareth  aiiy  of  those  things  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean 
until  the  even. 

11  And  whomsoever  he  toucheth  that  hath  the 
issue,  and  hath  not  rinsed  his  hands  in  water,  he 
shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water, 
and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

12  And  the  vessel  of  earth,  that  he  toucheth 
which  hath  the  issue,  shall  be  broken :  and  every 
vessel  of  wood  shall  be  rinsed  in  water. 

13  And  when  he  that  hath  an  issue  is  cleansed  of 
his  issue ;  then  he  shall  number  to  himself  seven 
days  for  his  cleansing,  and  wash  his  clothes,  and 
bathe  his  flesh  in  running  water,  and  shall  be  clean. 

14  And  on  the  eighth  day  he  shall  take  to  him 
two  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons,  and  come 
before  the  Lord  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  and  give  them  unto  the  priest : 

15  And  the  priest  shall  offer  them,  the  one/or  a 
sin  offering,  and  the  other /or  a  burnt  offering  ;  and 
the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  him  before 
the  Lord  for  his  issue. 

16  And  if  any  man's  seed  of  copulation  go  out 
from  him,  then  he  shall  wash  all  his  flesh  in  water, 
and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

17  And  every  garment,  and  every  skin,  whereon 
is  the  seed  of  copulation,  shall  be  washed  with 
water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

18  The  woman  also  with  whom  man  shall  Uewith 
seed  of  copulation,  they  shall  both  bathe  themselves 
in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

19  And  if  a  woman  have  an  issue,  and  her  issue 
in  her  flesh  be  blood,  she  shall  be  put  apart  seven 
days :  and  whosoever  toucheth  lier  shall  be  unclean 
until  the  even. 

20  And  every  thing  that  she  lieth  upon  in  her 
separation  shall  be  unclean  :  every  thing  also  that 
she  sitteth  upon  shall  be  unclean. 

21  And  whosoever  toucheth  her  bed  shall  wash 
his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  un- 
clean until  the  even. 

22  And  whosoever  toucheth  any  thing  that  she 
sat  upon  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself 
in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 


are  prescribed  (ver.  13-15).  While  the  sacrifice 
required  is  not  very  burdensome,  the  extreme 
scrupulosity  of  the  lawgiver  with  regard  to  the 
'pollution  of  persons,  garments,  vessels,  and  fur- 
niture communicated  by  the  touch,  had  the 
effect  of  rendering  the  people  extremely  sensi- 
tive to  uncleanness  of  this  kind.  Hating  the 
garment  spotted  by  the  flesh  would  be  one  of  the 
signs  of  personal  religion  (Jude  23).  Most  of  tlie 
ancient  religions  made  a  similar  recognition  of 
uncleanness  and  of  the  need  of  purification. 
Ver.  16-18  refer  to  natural,  healthful  secretions. 


4  Every  bed  whereon  he  that  hath  the  issue  lieth 
shall  be  unclean  :  and  every  thing  whereon  he 

5  sitteth  shall  be  unclean.  And  whosoever  touch- 
eth his  bed  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe 
himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

6  And  he  that  sit;;eth  on  any  thing  whereon  he 
that  hath  the  issue  sat  shall  wash  his  clothes, 
and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean 

7  until  the  even.  And  he  that  toucheth  the  flesh 
of  him  tliat  hath  the  issue  shall  wash  his  clothes, 
and  bathe  himself  in  water,   and   be  unclean 

8  until  the  even.  And  if  he  that  hath  the  issue  spit 
upon  him  that  is  clean  ;  then  he  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  un- 

9  clean  until  the  even.  And  what  saddle  soever  he 
that  hath  the  issue  rideth  upon  shall  be  unclean. 

10  And  whosoever  toucheth  any  thing  that  was 
under  him  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even  :  and 
he  that  beareth  those  things  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  un- 

11  clean  until  the  even.  And  whomsoever  he  that 
hath  the  issue  toucheth,  without  having  rinsed 
his  hands  in  water,  he  shall  wash  his  clothes, 
and   bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean 

12  until  the  even.  And  the  earthen  vessel,  which 
he  that  hath  the  issue  toucheth.  shall  be  broken  ; 
and  every   vessel  of  wood  shall   be  rinsed  in 

13  water.  And  when  he  that  hath  an  issue  is 
cleansed  of  his  issue,  then  he  shall  number  to 
himself  seven  days  for  his  cleansing,  and  wash 
his  clothes  ;  and  he  shall  bathe  his  flesh  in  run- 

14  ning  water,  and  shall  be  clean.  And  on  the 
eighth  day  he  shall  take  to  him  two  turtledoves, 
or  two  young  pigeons,  and  come  before  the  Lord 
unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  give 

15  them  unto  the  priest :  and  the  priest  shall  offer 
them,  the  one  for  a  sin  offering,  and  the  other 
for  a  burnt  offering  ;  and  the  priest  shall  make 
atonement  for  him  before  the  Lord  for  his  issue. 

16  And  if  any  man's  seed  of  copulation  go  out 
from  him,  then  he  shall  bathe  all  his  flesh  in 

17  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even.  And 
every  garment,  and  every  skin,  whereon  is  the 
seed  of  copulation,  shall  be  washed  with  w&,ter, 

18  and  be  unclean  until  the  even.  The  woman  also 
with  whom  a  man  shall  lie  with  seed  of  copula- 
tion, they  shall  both  bathe  themselves  in  water, 
and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

19  And  if  a  woman  have  an  issue,  and  her  issue 
in  her  flesh  be  blood,  she  shall  be  in  her  im- 
purity seven  days:  and  whosoever  toucheth  her 

20  shall  be  unclean  vmtil  the  even.  And  every 
thing  that  she  lieth  upon  in  her  impurity  shall 
be  unclean :  every  thing  also  that  she  sitteth 

21  upon  shall  be  unclean.  And  whosoever  touch- 
eth her  bed  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe 
himself  in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

22  And  whosoever  toucheth  any  thing  that  she  sit- 
teth upon  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  him- 
self in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 


These  require  no  sacrifice,  but  entail  the  neces- 
sity of  washing  the  garments  and  the  person, 
and  the  technical  condition  of  uncleanness  for 
the  remainder  of  the  day. 

19-30,  Uncleanness  in  the  female.  In  the 
case  of  the  woman  the  natural  uncleanness  is 
mentioned  first  (ver.  19-24),  and  no  sacrifice  is  pre- 
scribed. The  act  mentioned  in  ver.  24  must 
mean  a  ease  of  the  accidental  concurrence  of  the 
menstrual  period  with  the  act  of  cohabitation, 
since  voluntary  intercourse  during  that  period 
was  a  heavy  crime  (see  is ;  i9;  20 ;  is).    For  the 


Ch.  XVI.] 


LEVITICUS 


67 


23  And  if  it  beonherhed,  or  on  any  thing  whereon 
she  sitteth,  when  he  touclieth  it,  he  sliall  be  unclean 
until  the  even. 

24  And  if  any  man  lie  with  her  at  all,  and  her 
flowers  be  upon  him,  he  shall  be  unclean  seven 
days ;  and  all  the  bed  whereon  he  lieth  shall  be 
uncleau. 

25  And  if  a  woman  have  an  issue  of  her  blood 
many  days  out  of  the  time  of  her  separation,  or  if 
it  run  beyond  the  time  of  her  separation ;  all  the 
days  of  the  issue  of  her  uncleanness  shall  be  as  the 
days  of  her  separation  :  she  shall  be  uncleau. 

26  Every  bed  whereon  she  lieth  all  the  days  of 
her  issue  shall  be  unto  her  as  the  bed  of  her  sepa- 
ration :  and  whatsoever  she  sitteth  upon  shall  be 
unclean,  as  the  uncleanness  of  her  separation. 

27  And  whosoever  toucheth  those  things  shall  be 
unclean,  and  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  huii- 
self  in  water,  and  be  unclean  until  the  even. 

28  But  if  she  be  cleansed  of  her  issue,  then  she 
shall  number  to  herself  seven  days,  and  after  that 
she  shall  be  clean. 

29  And  on  the  eighth  day  she  shall  take  unto  her 
two  turtles,  or  two  young  pigeons,  and  bring  them 
unto  the  priest,  to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation. 

30  And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  one  for  a  sin 
offering,  and  the  other/or  a  burnt  offering  ;  and  the 
priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for  her  before  the 
Lord  for  the  issue  of  her  uncleanness. 

31  Thus  shall  ye  separate  the  children  of  Israel 
from  their  uncleanness  ;  that  they  die  not  in  their 
uncleanness,  when  they  deiile  my  tabernacle  that 
is  among  them. 

32  This  is  the  law  of  him  that  hath  an  issue,  and 
of  him  whose  seed  goeth  from  him,  and  is  defiled 
therewith  ; 

33  And  of  her  that  is  sick  of  her  flowers,  and  of 
him  that  hath  an  issue,  of  the  man,  and  of  the 
woman,  and  of  him  that  lieth  with  her  that  is 
unclean. 


23  And  if  it  be  on  the  bed,  or  on  any  thing  whereon 
she  sitteth,  when  he  toucheth  it,  he  shall  be  un- 

24  clean  until  the  even.  And  if  any  man  lie  with 
her,  and  her  impurity  be  upon  him,  he  shall  be 
unclean  seven  days  ;  and  every  bed  whereon  he 
lieth  shall  be  unclean. 

25  And  if  a  woman  have  an  issue  of  her  blood 
many  days  not  in  the  time  of  her  impurity,  or  if 
she  have  an  issue  beyond  the  time  of  her  impu- 
rity ;  all  the  days  of  the  issue  of  her  uncleanness 

she  shall  be  as  in  the  days  of  her  impurity  :  she 

26  is  uncleau.  Every  bed  whereon  she  lieth  all  the 
days  of  her  issue  shall  be  unto  her  as  the  bed  of 
her  impurity  :  and  every  thing  whereon  she  sit- 
teth shall  be  unclean,  as  the  uncleanness  of  her 

27  impurity.  And  whosoever  touclieth  those  things 
shall  be  unclean,  and  shall  wash  his  clothes, 
and   bathe   himself  in   water,  and   be  uncleau 

28  until  the  even.  But  if  she  be  cleansed  of  her 
issue,  then  she  shall  number  to  herself  seven 

29  days,  and  after  that  she  shall  be  clean.  And  on 
the  eighth  day  she  shall  take  unto  her  two  tur- 
tledoves, or  two  young  pigeons,  and  bring  them 
unto  the  priest,  to  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 

30  ing.  And  the  priest  shall  offer  the  one  for  a  sin 
offering,  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering  ;  and 
the  priest  shall  make  atonement  for  her  before 
the  Lord  for  the  issue  of  her  uncleanness. 

31  Thus  shall  ye  separate  the  children  of  Israel 
from  their  uncleanness ;  that  they  die  not  in 
their  uncleanness,  when  they  defile  my  taber- 
nacle that  is  in  the  midst  of  tliem. 

32  This  is  the  law  of  him  that  hath  an  issue,  and 
of  him  whose  seed  of  copulation  goeth  from  him, 

33  so  that  he  is  unclean  thereby  ;  and  of  her  that  is 
sick  with  her  impurity,  and  of  him  that  hath  an 
issue,  of  the  man,  and  of  the  woman,  and  of  him 
that  lieth  with  her  that  is  unclean. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  after  the  death 
of  the  two  sons  of  Aaron,  when  they  offered  before 
the  Lord,  and  died  ; 

2  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Speak  unto  Aar- 
on thy  brother,  that  he  come  not  at  all  times  into 
the  holy  place  within  the  vail  before  the  mercy  seat, 
which  is  upon  tlie  ark  ;  that  he  die  not:  for  I  will 
appear  in  the  cloud  upon  the  mercy  seat. 


AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  after  the 
death  of  the  two  sons  of  Aaron,  when  they  drew 
near  before  the  Lord,  and  died  ;  and  the  Lord 
said  unto  Moses,  Speak  unto  Aaron  thy  brother, 
that  he  come  not  at  all  times  into  the  holy  place 
within  the  veil,  before  the  mercy-seat  which  is 
upon  the  ark  ;  that  he  die  not :  for  I  will  appear 


unnatural  menstruation  resulting  from  a  dis- 
eased condition  a  quarantine  and  sacrifice  was 
required  on  its  cessation  like  that  required  of 
the  man  Avho  had  recovered  from  a  morbid  issue 

(cf.  ver.  13-15). 

31-39.  Subscription.  The  main  object  of 
this  law  was  evidently  to  cultivate  the  habit  of 
recognizing  and  abhorring  uncleanness.  It  is 
noteworthy  how  this  separation  from  unclean- 
ness is  connected  with  religious  feeling  by  mak- 
ing the  highest  degree  of  fault  and  danger  to  con- 
sist in  communicating  a  taint  to  the  habitation 
of  God  (ver.  31)  that  was  among  the  people,  Un- 
cleanness neglected  is  in  danger  of  becoming  as 
it  were  an  injury  to  the  purity  of  the  very  tem- 
ple of  God.  Compare  the  features  in  the  cleans- 
ing of  the  leper  (i-^  =  12-14)  which  seem  to  indicate 
that  leprosy  as  the  highest  type  of  all  impurity 
was  regarded  as  a  violation  of  the  sanctuary. 
There  seems  to  be  latent  here  the  feeling  of  the 


identity  of  the  temple  of  God  with  the  human 
body — a  feeling  which  was  so  developed  and 
vivid  in  Christ  that  he  spoke  of  the  temple  and 
of  his  body  in  one  inclusive  assertion  (John  2 :  19). 
Paul  too  makes  this  identity  the  basis  of  one  of 
his  most  expressive  metaphors  (1  cor.  6  :  19). 


Chap.  16.  The  Day  of  Atonement. 
1,  2.  The  historical  occasion.  Historically  this 
chapter  is  connected  Avith  the  events  narrated  in 
chap.  10,  and  the  interposition  of  chap.  11-15,  so 
entirely  unrelated  in  subject  to  this  apparently 
continuous  section,  may  possibly  indicate  a  re- 
daction by  which  this  chapter  has  been  removed 
from  its  original  context.  In  a  book  so  scantily 
historical  in  its  form  as  Leviticus,  however,  this 
supposition  is  by  no  means  necessary.  The 
reference  to  the  death  of  Nadab  and  Abihu 
simply  supplies  the  historical  occasion  for  the 
legislation,  rather  than  makes  any  attempt  to 


68 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XVI. 


3  Thus  shall  Aaron  come  into  the  holy  place : 
witli  a  young  bullock  for  a  sin  offering,  and  a  ram 
for  a  burnt  offering.  .         ^   ^ 

4  He  shall  put  on  the  holy  linen  coat,  and  he 
shall  have  the  linen  breeches  upon  his  flesh,  and 
shall  be  girded  with  a  linen  girdle,  and  witli  the 
linen  mitre  shall  he  be  attired  :  tliese  are  holy  gar- 
ments; therefore  shall  he  wash  his  flesh  in  water, 
and  su  put  them  on. 

5  And  he  shall  take  of  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel  two  kids  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 
offering,  ami  one  ram  for  a  burnt  offering. 

0  And  Aaron  shall  offer  his  bullock  of  the  sin 
offering,  wliich  is  for  himself,  and  make  an  atone- 
ment for  himself,  and  for  his  house. 

7  And  he  shall  take  the  two  goats,  and  present 
them  Ijefore  the  Lord  at  tiie  door  of  the  taberrmcle 
of  the  congregation. 

8  And  Aaron  shall  cast  lots  upon  the  two  goats ; 
one  lot  for  the  Lord,  and  the  other  lot  for  the  scape- 
goat. 

9  And  Aaron  shall  bring  tiie  goat  upon  which  the 
Lord's  lot  fell,  and  offer  him /or  a  sin  offering. 

10  But  the  gout,  on  wiiicii  tlie  lot  fell  to  be  the 
scapegoat,  shall  be  presented  alive  before  the  Lord, 
to  make  an  atonement  with  him,  and  to  let  him  go 
for  a  scapegoat  into  the  wilderness. 

11  And  Aaron  siiall  bring  the  bullock  of  the  sin 
offering,  whieii  its  hyr  himself,  and  shall  make  an 
atonemeiiL  for  liinibell',  and  for  his  house,  and  shall 
kill  the  bulioek  of  the  sin  (offering  whicli  in  for 
him.-elf : 

12  And  he  shall  take  a  censer  full  of  burning 
coals  oi  tire  from  off'  the  altar  before  the  Lord,  and 
his  hands  full  of  sweet  incense  beaten  small,  and 
bring  it  within  the  vail : 

i;i  And  he  shall  put  the  incense  upon  the  fire  be- 
fore the  Lord,  that  the  cloud  of  the  incense  may 
cover  the  mercy  seat  that  is  upon  the  testimony, 
that  he  die  not: 

14  And  he  shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock, 
and  sprinkle  it  with  his  finger  upon  the  mercy  seat 
eastward ;  and  before  the  mercy  seat  shall  he 
sprinkle  of  the  blood  with  his  finger  seven  times. 


3  in  the  cloud  upon  the  mercy-seat.  Herewith 
shall  Aaron  come  into  the  holy  place:  with  a 
young  bullock  for  a  sin  ott'ering,  and  a  ram  for 

4  a  burnt  offering.  He  shall  put  on  the  holy  linen 
coat,  and  he  shall  liave  the  linen  breeches  upon 
liis  ffesh,  and  shall  be  girded  with  the  linen  gir- 
dle, and  with  the  linen  mitre  shall  he  be  attired  : 
they  are  the  holy  garments  ;  and  he  shall  bathe 

5  his  ffesh  in  water,  and  put  them  on.  And  he 
shall  take  of  the  congregation  of  the  children  of 
Israel  two  he-goats  for  a  sin  offering,  and  one 

6  ram  for  a  burnt  offering.  And  Aaron  shall  pre- 
sent the  bullock  of  the  sin  offering,  which  is  for 
himself,  and  make  atonement  for  himself,  and 

7  for  his  house.  And  he  shall  take  the  two  goats, 
and  set  them  before  the  Lord  at  the  door  of  the 

8  tent  of  meeting.  And  Aaron  shall  cast  lots  upon 
the  two  goats;  one  lot  for  the  Lord,  and  the 

9  other  lot  for  Azazel.  And  Aaron  shall  present 
the  goat  upon  which  the  lot  fell  for  the  Lord, 

10  and  offer  him  for  a  sin  off"ering.  But  the  goat, 
on  which  the  lot  fell  for  Azazel,  shall  be  set 
alive  before  the  Lord,  to  make  atonement  for 
him,  to  send  him  away  for  Azazel  into  the  Wil- 
li derness.  And  Aaron  shall  present  the  bullock 
of  the  sin  offering,  which  is  for  himself,  and 
shall  make  atonement  for  himself,  and  for  his 
house,  and  shall  kill  the  bullock  of  the  sin  ofter- 

12  ing  which  is  for  himself:  and  he  shall  take  a 
censer  full  of  coals  of  fire  from  off"  the  altar  be- 
fore the  Lord,  and  his  hands  full  of  sweet  in- 
cense beaten  small,  and  bring  it  within  the  veil : 

13  and  he  shall  put  the  incense  upon  the  fire  before 
the  Lord,  that  the  cloud  of  the  incense  may 
cover  the  mercy-seat  that  is  upon  the  testimony, 

14  that  he  die  not:  and  he  shall  take  of  the  blood 
of  the  bullock,  and  sprinkle  it  with  his  finger 
upon  the  mercy-seat  on  the  east;  and  before  the 
mercy-seat  shall  he  sprinkle  of  the  blood  with 


continue  a  narrative.  It  was  natural  that  a  visita- 
tion so  awful  should  intensify  the  meditations  of 
the  lawgiver  on  the  saeredness  of  the  sanctuary, 
and  so  render  him  receptive  to  a  divine  revela- 
tion on  the  subject. 

The  Day  of  Atonement  was  the  climax  of  the 
Jewish  system  of  offerings  for  sin ,  and  was  called 
by  the  rabl)ins  Yoma,  or  the  Day,  as  if  it  were 
the  day  par  excellence  of  the  sacred  year.  It  is 
probal)ly  the  same  as  the  fast  mentioned  in 
Acts  27  :  9. 

3-13.  The  reverent  preparations.  Having 
provided  himself  with  a  young  bulloclc  for  a  sin 
ottering  and  a  ram  for  a  burnt  offering,  Aaron 
was  to  substitute  for  his  ordinary  glorious  high- 
priestly  garments  (Kxod.  28)  which  had  been  sanc- 
tified with  sprinkled  blood  and  oil  (8  :  7-9, 
!J0)  a  suit  of  pure  white  linen  differing  from 
the  dress  of  tlie  ordinary  priests  in  having  a 
high  priest's  turban  of  linen  instead  of  the  head- 
tire  of  the  common  priests  and  a  white  linen 
girdle  instead  of  the  variegated  one  such  as  they 
wore.  Before  assuming  these  garments  and 
after  putting  them  off  (vcr.  24)  Aaron  was  to 
bathe  his  whole  person  in  water.  The  white 
garments    perhaps    signified   the    purity    with 


which  he  should  approach  the  awful  presence  of 
God,  and  their  absence  of  adornment  may  have 
been  also  a  token  of  humiliation.  For  the  con- 
gregation Aaron  was  to  take  two  shaggy  he-goats 
— the  rabbins  say,  exactly  alike — which  were  to 
serve  in  a  wholly  unique  manner  as  one  sin  offer- 
ing. With  these  three  animals  he  was  to  appear 
at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  having 
first  cast  lots  on  the  two  goats  so  as  to  determine 
which  one  was  to  be  slain  that  his  blood  might 
be  used  in  the  holy  place,  Aaron  was  to  kill  the 
bullock  for  his  own  sin  ottering,  preparing  him- 
self for  his  solemn  function  of  entering  the  holy 
place  by  making  atonement  in  behalf  of  himself 
and  of  his  house.  A  still  further  preparation 
for  the  reverent  ai:)proach  to  the  awful  presence 
of  Jehovah  was  to  make  a  cloud  of  incense,  by 
means  of  a  censer  brought  within  the  veil,  so 
that  the  mercy  seat  might  be  hidden. 

14-19.  The  sprinkling  of  blood.  Silently 
and  alone,  no  one  being  permitted  to  be  in  the 
tent  of  meeting,  Aaron  was  to  enter  beyond  the 
veil  with  the  blood  of  the  bullock  slain  for  his 
own  sin  offering,  which  he  was  to  sprinkle  upon 
the  mercy  seat  on  the  east  side,  i.  e.,  the  side 
next  to  the  veil,  and  also  seven  times  on  the 


Ch.  XVI.] 


LEVITICUS 


69 


15  Then  shall  he  kill  the  goat  of  the  sin  offering, 
that  is  for  the  people,  and  bring  his  blood  within 
the  vail,  and  do  with  that  blood  as  he  did  with  the 
blood  of  the  bullock,  and  sprinkle  it  upon  the 
mercy  seat,  and  before  the  mercy  seat : 

16  And  he  shall  make  an  atonement  for  the  holy 
place,  because  of  the  uncleauness  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  because  of  their  transgressions  in  all 
their  sins  :  and  so  shall  he  do  for  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  that  remaineth  among  them  in 
the  midst  of  their  uncleauness. 

17  And  there  shall  be  no  man  in  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation  when  he  goeth  in  to  make  an 
atonement  in  the  holy  place,  until  he  come  out,  and 
have  made  an  atonement  for  himself,  and  for  his 
household,  and  for  all  the  congregation  of  Israel. 

18  And  he  shall  go  out  unto  the  altar  that  is  be- 
fore the  Lord,  and  make  an  atonement  for  it;  and 
shall  take  of  the  blood  of  the  bullock,  and  of  the 
blood  of  the  goat,  and  put  it  upon  the  horns  of  the 
altar  round  about. 

19  And  he  shall  sprinkle  of  the  blood  upon  it 
with  his  finger  seven  times,  and  cleanse  it,  and 
hallow  it  from  the  uncleauness  of  the  children  of 
Israel. 

20  And  when  he  hath  made  an  end  of  reconciling 
the  holy  place,  and  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion, and  the  altar,  he  shall  bring  the  live  goat: 

21  And  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands  upon  the 
head  of  the  live  goat,  and  confess  over  him  all  the 
iniquities  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  all  their 
transgressions  in  all  their  sins,  putting  them  upon 
the  head  of  the  goat,  and  shall  send  him  away  by 
the  hand  of  a  fit  man  into  the  wilderness : 

22  And  the  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their  in- 
iquities unto  a  land  not  inhabited  :  and  he  shall  let 
go  the  goat  in  the  wilderness. 


15  his  finger  seven  times.  Then  shall  he  kill  the 
goat  of  the  sin  offering,  that  is  for  the  people, 
and  bring  his  blood  within  the  veil,  and  do  with 
his  blood  as  he  did  with  the  blood  of  the  bullock, 
and  sprinkle  it  upon  the  mercy-seat,  and  before 

16  the  mercy-seat :  and  he  shall  make  atonement 
for  the  holy  place,  because  of  the  uncleauness 
of  tlie  children  of  Israel,  and  because  of  tlieir 
transgressions,  even  all  their  sins :  and  so  shall 
he  do  for  the  tent  of  meeting,  that  dwelleth  with 

17  them  in  the  midst  of  their  uncleauness.  And 
there  shall  be  no  man  in  the  tent  of  meeting 
when  he  goeth  in  to  make  atonement  in  the 
holy  place,  until  he  come  out,  and  have  made 
atonement  for  himself,  and  for  his  household, 

18  and  for  all  tlie  assembly  of  Israel.  And  he  shall 
go  out  unto  the  altar  tliat  is  before  the  Lord,  and 
make  atonement  for  it ;  and  shall  take  of  the 
blood  of  the  bullock,  and  of  the  blood  of  the 
goat,  and  put  it  upon   the   horns  of  the   altar 

19  round  about.  And  he  shall  sprinkle  of  the  blo(;d 
upon  it  with  his  linger  seven  times,  and  cleanse 
it,  and  hallow  it  from  the  uncleauness  of  the 

20  children  of  Israel.  And  when  he  hath  made  an 
end  of  atoning  for  the  holy  place,  and  the  tent 
of  meeting,  and  the  altar,  he  shall  present  the 

21  live  goat :  and  Aaron  shall  lay  both  his  hands 
upon  the  head  of  the  live  goat,  and  confess  over 
him  all  the  iniquities  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  all  their  transgressions,  even  all  their  sins  ; 
and  he  shall  put  them  upon  the  head  of  the 
goat,  and  shall  send  him  away  by  the  hand  of  a 
man  that  is  in  readiness  into  the  wilderness: 

22  and  the  goat  shall  bear  upon  him  all  their  iniq- 
uities unto  a  solitary  land :  and  he  shall  let  go 


ground  before  the  mercy  seat.  The  Hebrew  in 
ver.  14  leaves  it  somewhat  doubtful  whether 
there  was  any  sprinkling  except  the  seven-fold 
sprinkling  before  the  mercy  seat,  and  Jewish 
authority  favors  the  opinion  that  this  was  the 
only  sprinkling.  But  in  ver.  15,  which  describes 
the  precisely  similar  ceremony  with  the  blood  of 
the  goat,  the  expression  unambiguously  speci- 
fies a  single  sprinkling  upon  and  a  seven-fold 
one  before  the  mercy  seat.  Then  having  re- 
turned and  slain  the  goat  designated  by  lot  as 
the  people's  sin  offering  to  Jehovah,  he  was  to 
enter  within  the  veil  once  more  and  sprinkle  its 
blood  as  he  had  done  that  of  the  bullock.  This 
was  to  make  atonement  for  the  holy  place  be- 
cause of  the  taint  which  it  had  acquired  on  ac- 
count of  the  sins  and  uncleannesses  of  the  peo- 
ple. In  like  manner  the  tent  of  meeting  was  to 
be  purified,  and  this  purification  especially  in- 
cluded the  altar  of  incense,  as  we  learn  from 
Exod.  30  :  10.  Finally  the  great  brazen  altar 
"before  the  Lord,"  i.  e.,  in  the  court  (cf.  Kxod. 
29 :  11)  was  to  be  purified  by  the  application  of 
the  mingled  blood  to  its  horns  round  about,  and 
the  seven-fold  sprinkling. 

20-22,  The  sending  away  of  the  live  goat. 
It  was  in  connection  with  this  part  of  the  cere- 
monial that  the  most  noticeable  feature  of  the 
ritual  of  atonement  occurred.  The  considera- 
tion of  ver,  8  and  10  comes  in  here,    Jn  direct 


antithesis  to  the  lot  which  is  cast  "for  the  Lord  " 
(ver.  8)  is  tlic  lot  "  for  the  scapegoat,"  or  rather, 
"for  Azazel"  (R.  V.).  Ver.  10  reads:  "But 
the  goat  on  which  the  lot  fell  for  Azazel  shall 
be  set  alive  before  Jehovah,  to  make  atonement 
upon  him,  to  send  him  away  to  Azazel  into  the 
wilderness."  The  word  7Ti<Tj7.,  'Azazel,  occurs 
only  in  this  chapter — here  and  in  ver.  26.  By 
the  best  modern  scholars  it  is  considered  most 
probable  that  the  word  is  derived  from  a  root  in 
use  in  Arabic  but  not  in  Hebrew,  meaning  to 
remove  or  separate,  and  that  it  designates  a  per- 
sonal being  placed  in  opposition  to  Jehovah, 
perhaps  some  evil  spirit  or  demon  believed  to  be 
in  banishment  and  to  inhabit  desert  places. 
The  notion  of  such  beings  infesting  the  desert 
was  not  unfamilar  to  Jewish  thought  (see  isa.  is  : 

21  ;   34  :  14  ;    Matt.  12  :  43  ;   Luke  8  :  27  ;   Rev.  18  :  2) ,      "In 

the  earliest  parts  of  the  book  of  Enoch  (proba- 
bly about  180  B.  c),  Azazel  appears  as  the 
leader  of  the  angels  who  formed  unions  with  the 
daughters  of  men,  and  whose  offspring,  the 
giants,  filled  the  earth  with  unrighteousness  and 

blood   (Kuoch  6  :  1,  2  ;    7:1-5;   9:6,  8-11  ;    see  Gen.  6  :  1-6), 

and  he  is  represented  (lo  :  4,  5)  as  fast  bound,  as 
a  punishment  for  his  sins,  under  rough  and 
jagged  rocks  in  the  wilderness  "  (Driver).  But 
what  notion  lay  at  the  root  of  the  practice  of 
sending  a  goat  to  him  is  not  known.  As  the 
two  goats  constituted  complementary  elements 


70 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XVI. 


23  And  Aaron  shall  come  into  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  and  shall  put  off  the  linen  gar- 
ments, which  lie  pat  on  when  he  went  into  the 
holy  place,  and  shall  leave  them  there  : 

24  And  he  shall  wash  his  flesh  with  water  in  the 
holy  place,  and  put  on  his  garments,  and  come 
forth,  and  offer  his  burnt  offering,  and  the  burnt 
offering  of  the  people,  and  make  an  atonement  for 
himself,  and  for  the  people. 

25  And  the  fat  of  tne  sin  offering  shall  he  burn 
upon  the  altar. 

•26  And  he  that  let  go  the  goat  for  the  scapegoat 
shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  his  flesh  in  water, 
and  afterward  come  into  the  camp. 

'27  And  the  bulkjck  for  the  sin  offering,  and  the 
goat  for  the  sin  ottering,  whose  blood  was  brought 
in  to  make  atonement  in  the  holy  place,  shall  one 
carry  forth  without  the  camp  ;  and  they  shall  burn 
in  tlie  fire  their  skins,  and  their  flesh,  and  their 
dung. 

28  And  he  that  burneth  them  shall  wash  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  his  flesh  in  water,  and  afterward 
he  shall  come  into  the  camp. 

29  And  this  shall  be  a  statute  for  ever  unto  you: 
that  in  the  seventh  mouth,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the 
month,  ye  shall  afflict  your  souls,  and  do  no  work 
at  all,  whether  it  be  one  of  your  own  country,  or  a 
stranger  that  sojourneth  among  you  : 

30  For  on  that  day  shall  the  priest  make  an  atone- 
ment for  you,  to  cleanse  you,  that  ye  may  be  clean 
from  all  your  sins  before  the  Lord. 


23  the  goat  in  the  wilderness.  And  Aaron  shall 
come  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  shall  put  off 
the  linen  garments,  which  he  put  on  when  he 
went  into  the  holy  place,  and  shall  leave  them 

24  there:  and  he  shall  bathe  his  flesh  in  water  in 
the  holy  place,  and  put  on  his  garments,  and 
come  forth,  and  offer  his  burnt  offering  and  the 
burnt  offering  of  the  people,  and  make  atone- 

25  meut  for  himself  and  for  the  people.  And  the 
fat  of  the  sin  offering  shall  he  burn  upon  the 

26  altar.  And  he  that  letteth  go  the  goat  for  Azazel 
shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  his  flesh  in 
water,  and   afterward  he  shall  come  into  the 

27  camp.  And  the  bullock  of  the  sin  offering,  and 
the  goat  of  the  sin  offering,  whose  blood  was 
brought  in  to  make  atonement  in  the  holy  place, 
shall  be  carried  forth  without  the  camp ;  and 
they  shall  burn  in  the  fire  their  skins,  and  their 

28  flesh,  and  their  dung.  And  he  that  burneth 
them  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  his  flesh 
in  water,  and  afterward  he  shall  come  into  the 
camp. 

29  And  it  shall  be  a  statute  for  ever  unto  you  :  in 
the  seventh  month,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the 
month,  ye  shall  afflict  your  souls,  and  shall  do 
no  manner  of  work,  the  homeborn,  or  the  stran- 

30  ger  that  sojourneth  among  you  :  for  on  this  day 
shall  atonement  be  made  for  you,  to  cleanse 
you ;  from  all  your  sins  shall  ye  be  clean  before 


in  one  sin  offering,  and  as  therefore  the  goat 
sent  away  could  be  no  idolatrous  propitiation  to 
an  evil  spirit,  it  seems  most  probable  that  the 
sending  of  the  confessed  and  atoned-for  sins  to 
Azazel  was  simply  their  dismissal,  in  an  indefi- 
nite way,  as  befits  all  consignment  to  forgetful- 
ness,  to  the  vaguely  conceived  place  where  they 
belonged.  For  the  common  worshiper,  then, 
the  broad  impression  of  this  Day  of  Atonement 
was  that  the  sins  of  the  people  were  not  only- 
atoned  for  by  the  death  of  a  victim,  but  sepa- 
rated from  them  and  banished  to  forgetfulness 
through  the  same  offering  in  another  phase. 
While  in  the  typical  sacrifice  this  could  be  ef- 
fected only  by  means  of  two  victims,  in  the  eter- 
nal reality  to  which  it  pointed  the  one  Saviour 
who  died  and  rose  again  becomes  at  once  the  aton- 
ing Sacrifice  and  the  risen  Sanctifier  by  whom  our 
sin  is  removed  (Heb.  9  :  24-28).  Some  such  idea 
as  this  of  sending  the  people's  sins  away  into  the 
unclean  wilderness  is  found  in  the  visions  of 
Zechariah,  chap.  5,  where  the  nation's  sin 
which  God  has  forgiven  is  carried  into  the 
unclean  land  of  Babylon. 

23-28.  Remaining  ceremonies.  Having 
bathed  his  flesh  and  reassumed  his  high-priestly 
garments,  Aaron  was  to  offer  the  burnt  offering 
for  himself  and  for  the  people,  and  to  burn  the 
fat  of  the  sin  offering  whose  blood  had  been 
brought  into  the  holy  place.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  none  of  this  sin  offering  might  be 
eaten  (sec  6  :  30).  The  ordinary  ritual  of  the 
burnt  and  sin  offering  was  used.  The  one  who 
conducted  away  the  goat  to  Azazel  and  also  the 


one  who  burned  the  flesh  of  the  sin  offering 
without  the  camp  were  to  bathe  their  flesh  and 
wash  their  clothes  before  returning  to  the  camp, 
perhaps  under  a  rule  that  whoever  left  the 
camp  during  a  religious  solemnity  incurred  un- 
cleanness.  Certain  accessory  offerings  in  con- 
nection with  the  Day  of  Atonement  are  men- 
tioned in  Num.  29  :  7-11.  These  consisted  of  a 
young  bullock,  a  ram,  seven  lambs,  and  a  hairy 
he  goat  for  a  sin  offering,  with  their  meal  and 
drink  offerings. 

29-34.  The  institution  of  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment. This  seventh  month  of  the  sacred  year 
has  been  called  the  Sabbatical  month.  In  the 
first  day  was  celebrated  the  feast  of  Trumpets 
(23 :  24) ;  the  tenth  day  was  the  Day  of  Atone- 
ment, and  on  the  fifteenth  the  feast  of  Booths 
began  (23  :  34).  29.  The  stranger  means  a 
foreigner  who  dwelt  among  the  people  and  con- 
formed to  their  customs.  Foreigners  could 
share  in  most  of  the  privileges  of  sacrifice  and 
religious  festivity;  but  in  order  to  participate 
in  the  Passover  they  must  be  circumcised  (see 

Exod.    12   :  48;     Num.   9   :   U).      Affllct    yOUr    SOlllS, 

probably  by  fasting.  This  is  the  only  fast  pre- 
scribed in  the  law.  The  succeeding  generations 
of  high  priests  in  their  succession  were  to  pre- 
side over  the  Day  of  Atonement  by  a  perpetual 
statute  or  ordinance  of  eternity.  The  great  gen- 
eral idea  of  the  day  and  its  purpose  was,  that 
ye  may  be  clean  from  all  your  sins  be- 
fore the  Lord  (ver.  so). 

The  last  sentence  of  ver.  34  hardly  seems  an 
appropriate  ending  for  the  chapter  in  its  present 


Ch.  XVI.] 


LEVITICUS 


71 


31  It  shall  be  a  sabbath  of  rest  unto  you,  and  ye 
shall  afflict  your  souls,  by  a  statute  for  ever. 

32  And  the  priest,  whom  he  shall  anoint,  and 
whom  he  shall  consecrate  to  minister  in  the  priest's 
office  in  his  father's  stead,  shall  make  the  atone- 
ment, and  shall  put  on  the  linen  clothes,  even  the 
holy  garments : 

33  And  he  shall  make  an  atonement  for  the  holy 
sanctuary,  and  he  shall  make  an  atonement  for  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  for  the  altar, 
and  he  shall  make  an  atonement  for  the  priests, 
and  for  all  the  people  of  the  congregation. 

34  And  this  shall  be  an  everlasting  statute  unto 
you,  to  make  an  atonement  for  the  children  of  Is- 
rael for  all  their  sins  once  a  year.  And  he  did  as 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 


31  the  Lord.  It  is  a  sabbath  of  solemn  rest  unto 
you,  and  ye  shall  afflict  your  souls  ;  it  is  a  stat- 

32  ute  forever.  And  the  priest,  who  shall  be  an- 
ointed and  who  shall  be  cousecraied  to  be  priest 
in  his  father's  stead,  shall  make  the  atonement, 
and  shall  put  on  the  linen  garments,  even  the 

33  holy  garments :  and  he  shall  make  atonement 
for  the  holy  sanctuary,  and  he  shall  make  atone- 
ment for  the  tent  of  meeting  and  for  the  altar; 
and  he  shall  make  atonement  for  the  priests 

34  and  for  all  the  people  of  the  assembly.  And  this 
shall  be  an  everlasting  statute  unto  you,  to  make 
atonement  for  the  children  of  Israel  because  of 
all  their  sins  once  in  the  year.  And  he  did  as 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 


form.  It  has  been  suggested  that  it  may  be  a 
survival  from  an  earlier  stage  of  the  chapter 
when  it  contained  only  directions  which  could 
be  executed  immediately.  The  chapter,  it  will 
be  remembered,  sets  out  from  the  occasion  of  the 
death  of  Nadab  and  Abihu  as  if  its  object  were 
simply  to  define  when  and  how  Aaron  might 
enter  the  holy  place  (ver.  2)^  but  it  goes  on  to 
give  a  complete  and  elaborate  ritual  for  the 
great  annual  cleansing  of  the  sanctuary  and  the 
priests  and  the  people;  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  additions  were  made  to  it  as  the  usages  of 
the  temple  grew  in  elaborateness.  It  is  certain 
that  if  ceremonial  did  not  grow  during  the  time 
preceding  the  codification  of  the  priestly  law,  it 
did  afterward,  as  is  illustrated  in  the  Mishnic 
treatise  Yoma,  in  which  several  additions  in 
practice  are  made  to  the  law  as  laid  down  in 
Leviticus. 

"  For  the  like  of  the  great  Day  of  Atonement, 
we  look  in  vain  in  any  other  people.  If  every 
sacrifice  pointed  to  Christ,  this  most  luminously 
of  all.  What  the  fifty-third  of  Isaiah  is  to  his 
Messianic  prophecies,  that,  we  may  truly  say,  is 
the  sixteenth  of  Leviticus  to  the  whole  system 
of  Mosaic  types,  the  most  consummate  flower 
of  the  Messianic  symbolism.  All  the  sin  offer- 
ings pointed  to  Christ,  the  great  High  Priest 
and  Victim  of  the  future ;  but  this  .  .  .  with  a 
distinctness  found  in  no  other"  (Kellogg). 

As  the  system  of  sin  offerings  appears  to  have 
been  the  creation  of  the  law,  and  as  the  Day  of 
Atonement  is  the  culmination  of  the  expiatory 
sacrifices,  it  will  be  interesting  at  this  point  to 
observe  what  conception  of  the  nature  of  sin 
and  of  its  remedy  was  indicated  and  contributed 
to  the  world  by  means  of  this  highest  attainment 
of  ritual  expression.  Perhaps  we  may  say  that 
the  definite  conception  which  this  ceremonial 
treatment  of  sin  added  to  the  world's  thought 
was  that  of  sin  as  a  thing — a  substance  which 
could  be  made  the  object  of  attention  and 
of  remedial  treatment,  a  thing  which  could  de- 
file, which  could  be  abhorred,  which  by  atone- 


ment could  be  covered  from  the  divine  observa- 
tion, which  could  be  so  imaged  in  the  common 
mind  that  measures  could  be  taken  to  send  it 
away  into  banishment.  In  short,  the  system  of 
expiation  objectified  sin.  This  is  a  distinct 
modification  of,  and  for  some  purposes  an  ad- 
vance on,  the  first  obvious  idea  of  the  nature  of 
sin  which  common  perception  would  form  of  it. 
To  the  obvious  primary  perception  sin  is  an  act 
of  disobedience  or  transgression  by  which  one 
incurs  the  displeasure  of  the  superior  Power. 
The  act  is  thought  of  purely  and  only  as  related 
to  an  external  higher  Will.  The  obvious  re- 
medial treatment  of  sin  in  this  aspect  of  it  is 
simply  to  desist  from  the  act  and  obtain  the  for- 
giveness of  the  one  aggrieved.  Now  this  is 
called  the  ethical  conception  of  sin,  and  it  is 
sometimes  thought  of  as  the  only  just  and  com- 
plete conception — a  later  achievement  of  the 
human  mind  and  destined  to  supersede  that 
lower  conception  of  sin  by  which  it  becomes  as 
it  Avere  a  substance,  an  object  of  expiation  and 
purification. 

But  as  a  matter  of  fiict,  is  not  this  latter  con- 
ception, this  quasi  physical  thought  of  sin,  a 
more  developed  idea,  and  one  taking  a  deeper 
hold  upon  human  nature  ?  Is  it  not  a  concep- 
tion distinctly  necessary  as  complementary  to 
the  purely  ethical  idea,  if  the  human  race  is  to 
get  such  a  grasp  on  the  nature  of  its  corruption 
as  to  be  delivered  from  it?  Thinking  of  him- 
self as  a  transgressor,  related  simply  to  an  ex- 
ternal will,  the  sinner  is  put  upon  the  round  of 
penitence,  of  resolutions  of  amendment,  of  at- 
tempts at  better  behavior,  all  of  which  is  neces- 
sary to  make  a  good  man  of  him,  but  all  of 
which  is  only  one  side  of  the  process  of  renewal. 
On  the  otlier  band,  thinking  of  himself  as  a  de- 
filed and  unclean  creature,  reckoning  with  a 
condition  rather  than  with  an  act,  related  not 
simply  to  an  external  will  transgressed  but 
to  his  own  rightful  nature  debased,  the  sinner 
is  put  upon  the  round  of  finding  out  his  own 
nature  and  corruption — he  enters  on  that  spir- 


72 


LEVITfCUS 


[Ch.  XVII. 


itual  development  which  issues  in  his  purifying 
himself  even  as  his  Redeemer  is  pure.  The  first 
step  in  the  development  of  this  thought  of  puri- 
fication from  the  deeply  ingrained  defilement  of 
sin  is  the  conception  of  sin  as  a  thing  which  de- 
files, a  thing  separable  in  thought  from  the 
actor,  a  thing  that  can  be  washed  away,  atoned 
away,  sent  away,  symbolically  by  lustrations 
and  sprinkled  blood,  really  by  the  infusion  of 
the  purifying  divine  life. 

So  in  the  priestly  cultus  there  was  the  pro- 
vision made  by  which  the  congregation  was 
constantly  reminded  of  the  substantial  nature 
of  sin.  Whenever  a  victim  was  slain  as  a  sin 
offering,  and  especially  when  on  the  great  Day 
of  Atonement  the  confessed  sins  of  the  whole 
congregation  were  scut  away  in  symbol  to 
Azazel,  the  people's  moral  and  ceremonial  cor- 
ruption was  exhibited  as  a  thing  which  could 
be  handled  and  dealt  with,  which  could  be  sep- 
arated from  human  nature  and  detested,  a  thing 
which  did  not  vanish  into  nothingness  on  the 
person's  desisting  from  the  act  but  remained  as 
a  defiling  element  in  the  life  until  it  was  con- 
fessed and  atoned  for  and  done  away.  And  this 
conception  of  sin  as  a  substance  came  in  con- 
nection with  that  other  ceremonial  schooling  by 
which  the  Israelitish  conscience  was  made  ex- 
ceedingly sensitive  to  physical  defilement;  so 
that  with  double  vividness  there  would  be  im- 
pressed on  the  rightly  developed  mind  of  the 
worshiper,  by  the  public  services  of  his  church, 
the  momentously  practical  truth  that  sin  defiles 
the  conscience  so  that  the  only  salvation  is  by  a 
purifying  atonement. 

This  idea  of  sin  as  a  defilement  was  contrib- 
uted to  the  world  as  a  permanent  possession. 


The  expiatory  system  of  the  Hebrews  was  a 
foreshadowing  of  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  but 
it  was  not  simply  a  transitory  type,  appearing 
beforehand  and  then  destined  to  be  lost,  en- 
gulfed, annihilated  by  the  all-superseding  glory 
of  the  fulfillment.  It  remains  as  a  permanent 
element  in  the  thought  by  which  we  are  enabled 
to  conceive  of  the  nature  of  Christ's  work  itself. 
The  life  and  death  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  with  all  its  inspiring  power  as  a 
culmination  of  God's  revelation  of  himself,  is  a 
mighty  fact  which  cannot  be  exhausted  by  a 
single  expression.  It  relates  itself  to  sin  as 
transgression,  and  procures  for  the  believer  for- 
giveness. It  relates  itself  to  sin  as  a  fatal  self- 
ishness, and  opens  out  the  broader  life  of  love. 
It  relates  itself  to  sin  as  a  death,  a  spiritual 
helplessness,  and  imparts  the  power  of  a  resur- 
rection. But  all  these  thoughts  of  Christ's  rela- 
tion to  us  would  be  incomplete  if  our  schooling 
through  the  Old  Testament  had  not  taught  us  to 
look  deeper  into  our  own  souls  and  find  Christ 
related  to  sin  as  a  momentous  and  deadly  defile- 
ment to  which  he  ministers  atonement  and 
cleansing.  It  is  this  aspect  of  the  death  of 
Christ  to  which  the  sin  offering  of  the  Jews 
points  forward.  There  is  nothing  gained  for 
the  cause  of  truth  by  the  exercise  of  that  in- 
genuity which  seeks  to  find  everything  about 
Christ  promiscuously  foreshadowed  in  these 
types.  It  is  enough  that  by  this  schooling  in 
the  conception  of  sin  as  a  defilement,  and  this 
age-long  ceremonial  habit  of  seeking  atonement, 
the  lost  world  has  been  enabled  to  accept  Christ 
as  the  divine  atonement  and  cleanser  from  the 
uncleanness  which  makes  us  unfit  for  com- 
1  munion  with  the  infinite  purity. 


PART  SECOND.     THE  LAW  OF  HOLINESS,  CHAPTERS  17  TO  26. 


The  part  of  Leviticus  included  in  these  chap- 
ters seems  to  constitute  a  distinct  section  by 
itself,  characterized  by  the  predominance  of 
certain  expressions  very  rarely  found  in  other 
parts  of  the  priestly  legislation,  and  provided 
with  a  hortatory  framework  in  a  manner  unlike 
that  of  the  other  laws  of  Leviticus.  It  begins, 
indeed,  and  ends  in  a  manner  quite  similar  to 
the  two  great  pentateuchal  codes,  the  so-called 
"Book  of  the  Covenant"  (Exod.  20:22  to23:33),  and 
the  Deuteronomic  code  (neut.  12  to  28).  All  three 
of  those  groups  of  laws  open  with  instructions 
regarding  the  place  of  sacrifice  and  end  with  an 
exhortation  containing  promises  and  threaten- 


ings.  The  principle  which  characterizes  the 
section  is  the  principle  of  holiness — partly  cere- 
monial, partly  moral — as  a  quality  distinguish- 
ing Israel  or  demanded  of  Israel  by  Jehovah 
and  regulating  that  people's  life.  While  holiness 
is  demanded  in  other  parts  of  the  Pentateuch, 
here  it  is  insisted  on  with  such  emphasis  and 
frequency  as  to  make  it  the  leading  motive.  The 
divine  commands  are  repeatedly  grounded  on 
the  proposition,  "fori  Jehovah  am  holy,"  or 
"  I  am  Jehovah  that  sanctify  you."  The  title, 
therefore,  "The  Law  of  Holiness,"  given  it  by 
Klostermann  in  1877,  has  ever  since  been  recog- 
nized by  critics  as  a  peculiarly  happy  one. 


Ch.  XVII.] 


LEVITICUS 


73 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  uuto  Aaron,  and  unto  his  sons,  and  unto 
all  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  This 
is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded, 
saying, 

3  What  man  soever  there  be  of  the  house  of  Israel, 
that  killeth  an  ox,  or  lamb,  or  goat,  in  the  camp,  or 
that  killeth  it  out  of  the  camp, 

4  And  bringeth  it  not  unto  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation,  to  offer  an  offering  unto 
the  Lord  before  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  ;  blood 
shall  be  imputed  unto  that  man ;  he  hath  shed 
blood ;  and  that  man  shall  be  cut  off  from  among 
his  people: 

5  To  the  end  that  the  children  of  Israel  may 
bring  their  sacrifices,  which  they  offer  in  the  open 
field,  even  that  they  may  bring  them  unto  the 
Lord,  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation, unto  the  priest,  and  offer  them  for  peace 
offerings  unto  the  Lord. 

6  And  the  priest  shall  sprinkle  the  blood  upon 
the  altar  of  the  Lord  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation,  and  burn  the  fat  for  a  sweet 
savour  unto  the  Lord. 


1  AND   the   Lord    spake  unto    Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  unto  his  sons,  and  unto 
all  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them ; 
This  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord   hath  com- 

3  manded,  saying.  What  man  soever  there  be  of 
the  house  of  Israel,  that  killeth  an  ox,  or  lamb,  or 
goat,  in  the  camp,  or  that  killeth  it  without  the 

4  camp,  and  hath  not  brought  it  unto  the  door  of 
the  tent  of  meeting,  to  offer  it  as  an  oblation 
unto  the  Lord  before  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  : 
blood  shall  be  imputed  unto  that  man  ;  he  hath 
shed  blood  ;  and  that  man  shall  be  cut  off  from 

5  among  his  people :  to  the  end  that  the  children 
of  Israel  may  bring  their  sacrifices,  which  they 
sacrifice  in  the  open  field,  even  that  they  may 
bring  them  unto  the  Lord,  unto  the  door  of  the 
tent  of  meeting,  unto  the  priest,  and  sacrifice 
them  for  sacrifices  of  peace  offerings  unto  the 

6  Lord.  And  the  priest  shall  sprinkle  the  blood 
upon  the  altar  of  the  Lord  at  the  door  of  the  tent 
of  meeting,  and  burn  the  fat  for  a  sweet  savour 


Some  of  the  words  and  phrases  almost  if  not 
quite  peculiar  to  this  section  are  so  frequently 
repeated  as  to  be  cliaracteristie.  Such  are  the 
two  forms  of  expression  already  mentioned, 
and  also  such  expressions  as  "  I  will  set  my  face 
against,"  **I  will  cut  off  from  his  people," 
"My  statutes  and  my  ordinances,"  "To  keep 
and  do,"  "To  profane  the  name  of  Jehovah," 
"  To  profane  a  holy  thing,  or  sanctuary,"  "And 
thou  shalt  fear  thy  God,"  "  Their  blood  shall  be 
upon  them,"  "Bear  sin,  or  iniquity,"  in  various 
forms  of  the  phrase,  all  of  them  indicating  an 
imperative  element  of  personal  responsibility 
and  of  divine  requirement. 

"  The  characteristic  which  immediately  strikes 
us  is  that  of  a  priestly  law,  satisfying,  above  all 
things,  the  requirements  of  the  ritual.  The 
Deuteronomic  demand  that  sacrifices  should  be 
brought  to  only  one  sanctuary,  allowing,  how- 
ever, according  to  Deut.  12  :  15,  that  animals 
might  be  slaughtered  and  eaten  at  any  place,  is 
now  raised  higher,  so  as  to  mean  that  every  act 
of  slaughter  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  sacrifice,  and 
consequently  can  only  be  performed  at  the  one 
legitimate  sanctuary.  .  .  Then  there  follow  in 
confused  alternation  regulations  concerning  the 
eating  of  blood  and  carcasses,  forbidden  degrees 
of  marriage  and  sins  of  unchastity,  treatment  of 
the  sacrifices,  the  gleanings,  the  rights  of  neigh- 
bors in  every  conceivable  relation,  also  the 
priests'  duties,  the  celebration  of  the  religious 
festivals,  the  Sabbatic  year  and  the  year  of 
Jubilee — all  from  the  point  of  view  that  the 
transgression  of  these  commandments  defiles  the 
land  and  violates  the  divinely  willed  holiness  of 
the  people,  and  thus  of  Jahweh  himself" 
(Kaxjtzsch).   Ezekiel,  the  priestly  prophet,  has 


aflinities  with  the  priestly  legislation  in  general, 
but  his  affinities  with  this  part  of  the  priest  code 
are  peculiarly  striking  and  numerous. 

Chap.  17.  On  killing  animals  for 
FOOD.  1-7.  The  legislation  given  here  is  di- 
rected toward  a  particular  end,  namely,  the 
promotion  of  the  practice  in  Israel  of  bringing 
all  sacrifices  to  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting 
as  peace  ofie rings  (ver.  5).  The  motive  seems  to 
be  to  discourage  the  practice  of  idolatry  or 
nature- worship,  a  motive  which  is  particularly 
strong  in  the  law  of  holiness.  The  general  prin- 
ciple which  was  intended  to  be  lodged  in  the 
conscience  of  the  individual  was  that  a  person 
was  responsible  for  the  blood  of  an  animal  of 
the  kind  oflered  in  sacrifice  as  much  as  for  that 
of  a  person  (ver.  4)^  only  in  the  case  of  the  beast 
the  imputation  of  murder  was  removed  by  the 
act  of  sacrifice.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
in  the  East  flesh-eating  is  not  an  everyday  cus- 
tom. "  Except  at  a  feast,  or  to  entertain  a  guest, 
or  in  sacrifice  before  a  local  shrine,  the  Bedouin 
tastes  no  meat  but  the  flesh  of  the  gazelle  or 
other  game."  "Among  the  Semitic  nations 
above  all  others  the  taking  of  the  life  of  an 
animal,  especially  an  animal  of  a  kind  which 
might  be  offered  in  sacrifice,  has  always  been 
regarded  as  a  solemn  act,  partaking  of  a  some- 
what religious  character."  Indeed,  the  same 
Hebrew  word  means  both  to  slay  and  to  sacrifice. 
The  ordinances  of  Manu  do  not  approve  of  any 
flesh  being  eaten  which  has  not  been  offered  to 
a  deity.  Modern  Moslems  "appear  to  reckon 
all  flesh  as  ca,rrion  unless  Bismillah  (i.  e.,  'in 
the  name  of  God ')  is  pronounced  when  the 
throat  is  cut,  or,  in  the  case  of  game,  when  the 
gun  is  fired  or  the  leash  of  the  dog  slipped," 


74 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XVII. 


7  And  they  shall  no  more  offer  their  sacrifices 
unto  devils,  after  whom  they  have  gone  a  whoring. 
This  shall  be  a  statute  for  ever  unto  them  through- 
out their  generations. 

8  And  thou  shalt  say  unto  them,  Whatsoever 
man  tliere  be  of  the  house  of  Israel,  or  of  the  stran- 
gers which  sojourn  among  you,  that  offereth  a 
burnt  olTering  or  sacrifice,  ,  ^u    *  i. 

9  And  bringeth  it  not  unto  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation,  to  offer  it  unto  the  Lord  ; 
even  that  man  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  his 

10  And  whatsoever  man  there  be  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  or  of  the  strangers  that  sojourn  among  you, 
that  eateth  any  manner  of  blood ;  I  will  even  set 
my  face  against  that  soul  that  eateth  blood,  and 
will  cut  him  off  from  among  his  people. 

11  For  the  life  of  tiie  flesh  is  in  the  blood :  and  I 
have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar  to  make  an 
atonement  for  your  souls:  for  it  is  the  blood  that 
maketh  an  atonement  for  the  soul. 


7  unto  the  Lord.  And  they  shall  no  more  sacri- 
fice their  sacrifices  unto  the  he-goats,  after 
whom  they  go  a  whoring.  This  shall  be  a  stat- 
ute for  ever  unto  them  throughout  their  gen- 
erations. 

8  And  thou  shalt  say  unto  them.  Whatsoever 
man  there  be  of  the  house  of  Israel,  or  of  the 
strangers  that  sojourn  among  them,  that  offereth 

9  a  burnt  offering  or  sacrifice,  and  bringeth  it  not 
unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  to  sacrifice 
it  unto  the  Lord ;  even  that  man  shall  be  cut  off 
from  his  people, 

10  And  whatsoever  man  there  be  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  or  of  the  strangers  that  sojourn  among 
them,  that  eateth  any  manner  of  blood  ;  I  will 
set  my  face  against  that  soul  that  eateth  blood, 
and  will   cut  him  off  from  among  his  people. 

11  For  the  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood  :  and  I 
have  given  it  to  you  upon  the  altar  to  make 
atonement  for  your  souls :  for  it  is  the  blood 
that  maketh  atonement  by  reason  of  the  life. 


7,  And  they  shall  no  more  offer,  etc. 
The  universally  prevalent  religious  or  supersti- 
tious feelings  Avith  which  the  slaughter  of  ani- 
mals was  regarded  would  constitute  an  ever- 
haunting  temptation  to  the  people  to  sacrifice  to 
some  strange  deity  or  demon  in  the  absence  of 
the  sanctuary  and  the  educated  priest.  It  seems 
to  have  been  in  order  to  stamp  out  this  practice 
that  this  restriction  of  slaughter  to  animals  pre- 
sented at  the  sanctuary  was  intended.  The 
devils,  or  rather  he-goats  (R.  V.),  were  satyrs 
or  unclean  spirits,  "field  devils"  (Luther), 
supposed  to  inhabit  the  desert  (isa.  is  :  21 ;  zi-.  u) ; 
and  these  under  the  form  of  the  goat  were  wor- 
shiped especially  in  Lower  Egypt  with  the 
accompaniment  of  the  most  impure  rites,  such 
as  are  most  aptly  and  literally  described  by  the 
clause,  after  Avhom  they  have  gone  a 
whoring,  with  which  this  sentence  ends.  The 
idolatrous  Jeroboam  is  said  by  the  chronicler 
(2  chron.  11  :  15)  to  havc  made  provision  for  their 
worship,  and  possibly  some  of  the  high  places 
which  Josiah  removed  (2  Kings  23  :  8)  ought  to  be 
called  "high  places  of  the  satyrs"  instead  of 
"  high  places  of  the  gates,"  a  change  of  reading 
which  involves  the  alteration  of  only  one  vowel- 
point  in  Hebrew. 

This  shall  be  a  statute  forever,  etc. 
The  method  of  explaining  this  somewhat  puz- 
zling enactment,  which  is  apparently  abrogated 
in  Deut.  12  :  15,  16,  20-24,  constitutes  the  dis- 
tinguishing mark  of  the  critic  who  finds  these 
laws  in  their  present  form  to  be  a  comparatively 
Into  compilation,  on  the  one  hand,  or  the  critic 
who  holds  that  the  whole  Pentateuch  as  it 
stands  was  written  by  Moses  on  the  other.  There 
seems  to  be  a  closer  restriction  to  the  sanctuary 
in  this  place  than  in  the  priest  code  outside  of 
the  law  of  lioliness  (see  7 :  22-27).  It  seems  in- 
(;redible  that  a  single  author  should  enact  in  the 
wilderness  a  "  perpetual  statute,"  and  then  in 


the  natural  event  of  his  arriving  at  the  borders 
of  his  destined  promised  land,  which  he  could 
not  but  have  foreseen,  should  contradict  himself 
without  explanation  a  few  years  later.  A  possi- 
ble explanation  of  the  matter,  on  the  supposition 
that  under  the  first  temple  regime  the  priest 
legislation  was  in  a  state  of  growth,  would  be 
that  the  compiler  of  the  present  book  of  Leviti- 
cus found  in  his  original  document  a  requirement 
of  this  nature,  only  compelling  the  bringing  of 
slaughtered  beasts  to  some  sanctuary,  and  re- 
flecting the  practice  of  the  time  when  local 
sanctuaries  were  legal  (see  Exod.  20  :  24) ;  and  pos- 
sibly when  the  final  codification  was  made  the 
exilic  redactor  contemplated  only  a  restricted 
community  such  as  on  their  return  from  the 
captivity  would  settle  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  Jerusalem,  and  so  accommodated  the  regula- 
tion to  the  single  sanctuary  (seever.  4).  The 
permission  of  the  Deuteronomist  to  slaughter 
and  eat  freely  in  the  fields  was  necessary  at  the 
time  when  the  rigid  restriction  of  worship  to  the 
central  sanctuary  characteristic  of  Deuteronomy 

was  enacted  (see  Deut.  12  :  15,  16). 

8,  9.  Sacrifices  not  to  be  offered  except  at 
the  central  sanctuary.  This  is  simply  the  neg- 
ative side  of  the  precept  which  has  been  given 
in  positive  form  with  the  ritual  of  each  kind  of 
sacrifice — it  being  specified  in  each  case  that  the 
offering  shall  be  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 
ing. It  includes  in  the  prohibition  the  foreigner 
dwelling  among  the  people,  and  prescribes  the 
punishment  for  transgression,  namely,  that  the 
man  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  his  peo- 
ple by  death. 

10-14.  Blood  not  to  be  eaten:  in  the  case  of 
animals  of  a  kind  not  offered  in  sacrifice,  it  is  to 
be  poured  upon  the  earth.  The  prohibition  of 
the  eating  of  blood  is  repeated  seven  times  in 
the  Pentateuch :  Gen.  9:4;  Lev.  3:17;  7  :  26, 
27;  17  :  10-14;   19  :  26;   Deut.  12  :  16,  23,  24; 


Ch.  XVIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


75 


12  Therefore  I  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
No  soul  of  you  shall  eat  blood,  neither  shall  any 
stranger  that  sojourneth  amons  you  eat  blood. 

13  And  whatsoever  man  there  be  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  or  of  the  strangers  that  sojourn  among 
you,  which  hunteth  and  catcheth  any  beast  or  fowl 
that  may  be  eaten ;  he  shall  even  pour  out  the 
blood  thereof,  and  cover  it  with  dust. 

14  For  it  is  the  life  of  all  flesh  ;  the  blood  of  it  is  for 
the  life  thereof :  therefore  I  said  unto  the  children 
of  Israel,  Ye  shall  eat  the  blood  of  no  manner  of 
flesh :  for  the  life  of  all  flesh  is  the  blood  thereof : 
whosoever  eateth  it  shall  be  cut  off. 

15  And  every  soul  that  eateth  that  which  died  of 
itself,  or  that  which  was  torn  with  beasts,  whether  it  be 
one  of  your  own  country,  or  a  stranger,  he  shall 
both  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water, 
and  be  unclean  until  the  even :  then  shall  he  be 
clean. 

16  But  if  he  wash  them  not,  nor  bathe  his  flesh ; 
then  he  shall  bear  his  iniquity. 


12  Therefore  I  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  No 
soul  of  you  shall  eat  blood,  neither  shall  any 
stranger  that  sojourneth  among  you  eat  blood. 

13  And  whatsoever  man  there  be  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  or  of  the  strangers  that  sojourn  among 
them,  which  taketh  in  hunting  any  beast  or 
fowl  that  may  be  eaten ;  he  shall  pour  out  the 

14  blood  thereof,  and  cover  it  with  dust.  For  as  to 
the  life  of  all  flesh,  the  blood  thereof  is  ail  one 
with  the  life  thereof:  therefore  I  said  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  Ye  shall  eat  the  blood  of  no 
manner  of  flesh :  for  the  life  of  all  flesh  is  the 
blood  thereof :  whosoever  eateth  it  shall  be  cut 

15  off.  And  every  soul  that  eatcLh  that  which  dieth 
of  itself,  or  that  which  is  torn  of  beasts,  whether 
he  be  homeborn  or  a  stranger,  he  shall  wa.sh  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  be  un- 
clean until  the  even :  then  shall  he  be  clean. 

16  But  if  he  wash  them  not,  nor  bathe  his  flesh, 
then  he  shall  bear  his  iniquity. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  |     1      AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,   saying. 


15  :  23.  Compare  comment  on  3  :  17 ;  7  :  26,  27. 
The  law  in  this  place  is  especially  extended  to 
the  foreigner  dwelling  among  the  Israelites; 
and  it  enters  more  particularly  into  the  reason 
for  the  prohibition.  That  reason  is  that  the 
blood  is  the  life  or  soul,  a  principle  which  is 
also  stated  more  briefly  in  Gen.  9  :  4  and  Deut. 
12  :  23.  As  identified  with  the  life  of  the  an- 
imal the  blood  is  set  apart  as  the  medium  of 
atonement  upon  the  altar;  and  this  is  to  rest 
upon  the  conscience  as  a  supplementary  reason 
for  abstaining  from  eating  it.  The  last  part  of 
ver.  11  literally  reads,  the  blood  it  maketh  atone- 
ment by  virtue  of  the  soul,  i.  e.,  "It  was  not  the 
blood  as  such,  but  the  blood  as  the  vehicle  of  the 
soul  which  possessed  expiatory  virtue  "  (Keil). 
In  the  case  of  edible  game  the  fact  of  the  blood 
being  used  for  expiation  could  not  be  urged  as  a 
reason  for  abstaining,  but  the  general  principle 
is  reverted  to:  As  to  the  life  of  all  flesh, 
the  blood  thereof  is  all  one  with  the  life 
thereof. 

15,  16.  Purification  in  case  one  eats  that 
which  dies  naturally  or  is  torn  by  beasts.  Con- 
sidering the  strong  feeling  against  eating  flesh 
that  is  not  properly  slaughtered  which  is  ap- 
parent in  all  the  legislation  (Exod.  22  :  si ;  Deut. 
14  :  21)  J  one  is  struck  by  the  easy  form  of  purifi- 
cation here  prescribed  for  the  reinstatement  of 
the  offender.  If  this  was  neglected,  however, 
the  person  must  bear  his  iniquity,  i.  e.,  became 
guilty  (ver.  16) ;  and  under  the  general  principle 
contained  in  5  :  2  a  sin  offering  was  required. 
The  law  in  this  place  reflects  a  different  feeling 
toward  the  foreigner  from  that  in  Deut.  14  :  21  ; 
he  being  there  so  strongly  differentiated  from 
the  "holy  people"  that  the  selling  to  him,  or 
bis  eating,  of  a  carcass  was  entirely  legitimate, 


while  here  he  is  included  in  the  regulation.  It 
is  observable  that  the  status  of  the  foreigner 
throughout  the  priest  code  is  more  nearly  like 
that  of  the  Israelite  than  in  Deuteronomy ;  and 
by  some  modern  critics  this  is  thought  to  indi- 
cate a  later  stage  of  development  in  which  the 
term  foreigner  is  "on  the  way  to  assume  the 
later  technical  sense  of  n-poo-rjA.vrojj  the  foreigner 
who,  being  circumcised  and  observing  the  law 
generally,  is  in  full  religious  communion  with 
Israel"  (DRIVER  on  Deut.  14  :  21).  "In  the 
'Book  of  the  Covenant'  (Exod.  20  to  23)  the  'so- 
journer '  seems  to  have  no  legal  status,  but  there 
is  the  injunction  not  to  oppress  him  (Exod.  22  -.  21 ; 
23  :  9) ;  in  the  Decalogue  (Exod.  20  :  10)  he  is  com- 
manded to  observe  the  Sabbath.  In  Deuteron- 
omy he  is  often  commended  to  the  charitable 
regard  and  equity  of  the  Israelite,  but  in  one 
respect  (oeut.  u  :  21)  the  two  are  on  a  different 
footing.  His  complete  equalization  with  the 
native  Israelite,  such  as  we  find  in  P  (e.  g.,  24 .-  22 ; 
Exod.  12  :  49),  dates  from  the  time  when  Israel  was 
becoming  a  religious  community  rather  than  a 
nation"  (Driver). 


Chap.  18.    Unlawful    marriages   and 

LUSTS.  This  chapter  consists  of  a  central  por- 
tion made  up  of  specific  laws  (ver.  6-23),  with  an 
introduction  containing  a  general  exhortation 
enforced  by  a  promise  (ver.  1-5)  and  a  conclusion 
consisting  of  warnings  and  threatenings  (^er. 
24-30).  The  peculiar  style  of  the  law  of  holi- 
ness is  especially  apparent  in  the  introduction 
and  conclusion.  The  knvs  are  in  the  second 
person  singular,  while  the  introduction  and 
conclusion  are  in  the  second  person  plural. 

1-5.  Parenetic  introduction.     2.  This  intro- 
duction commences  and  ends  with  that  note  of 


76 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  ^      ■.        ■ 

3  After  the  doings  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  wherein 
ye  dwelt  shall  ye  not  do  :  and  after  the  doings  of 
the  land  of  Canaan,  whither  1  bring  you  shall  ye 
not  do  :  neither  shall  ye  walk  in  their  ordinances. 

4  Ye  shall  do  my  judgments,  and  keep  mine  or- 
dinances, to  walk  therein  :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

5  Ye  shall  therefore  keep  my  statutes,  and  my 
judgments:  which  if  a  man  do,  he  shall  live  in 
them  :  I  am  the  Lord.  . 

6  None  of  you  shall  approach  to  any  that  is  near 
of  kin  to  him,  to  uncover  their  nakedness  :  I  am  the 

7  The  nakedness  of  thy  father,  or  the  nakedness 
of  thy  mother,  shalt  thou  not  uncover:  she  in  thy 
mother;  thou  shalt  not  uncover  her  iiakeduess. 

8  The  nakedness  of  thy  father's  wife  shalt  thou 
not  uncover  :  it  is  thy  father's  nakedness. 

9  The  nakedness  of  thy  sister,  the  daughter  of 
thy  father,  or  daughter  of  thy  mother,  whether  she 
be  born  at  home,  or  born  abroad,  even  their  naked- 
ness thou  shalt  not  uncover. 

10  The  nakedness  of  thy  son's  daughter,  or  of  thy 
daughter's  daughter,  even  their  nakedness  thou  shalt 
not  uncover  :  for  their's  is  thine  own  nakedness. 

11  The  nakedness  of  thy  father's  wife's  daughter, 
begotten  of  thy  father,  she  is  thy  sister,  thou  shalt 
not  uncover  her  nakedness. 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 

3  them,  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  After  the  doings 
of  the  land  of  Egypt,  wherein  ye  dwelt,  shall  ye 
not  do :  and  after  the  doings  of  the  land  of 
Canaan,  whither  I  bring  you,  shall  ye  not  do : 

4  neither  shall  ye  walk  in  their  statutes.  My 
judgements  shall  ye  do,  and  my  statutes  shall 
ye  keep,  to  walk  therein :  I  am  the  Lord  your 

5  God.  Ye  shall  therefore  keep  my  statutes,  and 
my  judgements :  which  if  a  man  do,  he  shall 
live  in  them  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

6  None  of  you  shall  approach  to  any  that  is  near 
of  kin  to  him,  to  uncover  their  nakedness  :  I  am 

7  the  Lord.  The  nakedness  of  thy  father,  even 
the  nakedness  of  thy  mother,  shalt  thou  not  un- 
cover :  she  is  thy  mother ;  thou  shalt  not  uncover 

8  her  nakedness.  The  nakedness  of  thy  father's 
wife  shalt  thou  not  uncover:  it  is  thy  father's 

9  nakedness.  The  nakedness  of  thy  sister,  the 
daughter  of  thy  father,  or  the  daughter  of  thy 
mother,  whether  born  at  home,  or  born  abroad, 
even  their  nakedness  thou  shalt  not  uncover. 

10  The  nakedness  of  thy  son's  daughter,  or  of  thy 
daughter's  daughter,  even  their  nakedness  thou 
shalt  not  uncover  :  for  theirs  is  thine  own  naked- 

11  ness.  The  nakedness  of  thy  father's  wife's  daugh- 
ter, begotten  of  thy  father,  she  is  thy  sister,  thou 


the  law  of  holiness  so  well  calculated  to  stir  the 
conscience  of  a  peculiar  people,  I  am  the 
Lord  your  God,  Jehovah.  It  is  a  general  ad- 
monition not  to  do  after  the  doings  of  the  Egyp- 
tians and  Canaanites,  but  to  walk  in  the  statutes 
and  judgments  of  Jehovah.  Of  these  precepts 
it  is  said :  5.  Which  if  a  man  do,  he  shall 
live  in  them,  an  expression  which  is  used 
thrice  verbatim  by  Ezekiel  (20  :  11,  is,  21)  and 
once  in  the  Levitical  confession  in  Nehemiah 
(9  :  29).  Paul  quotes  it  twice  as  a  proof  that  the 
law  as  a  whole  was  intended  as  a  means  of  sal- 
vation or  eternal  life  (Rom.  10  :  5;  Gai.  3 :  12),  and 
our  Lord  makes  the  same  claim  for  it  in  his 
teachings  (Luke  10  :  28),  It  appears,  however, 
that  Ezekiel,  and  probably  also  the  present  au- 
thor, intended  to  make  no  greater  claim  for  the 
keeping  of  these  statutes  than  that  it  would 
issue  in  long  life  and  prosperity.  Ezekiel,  in- 
deed, seems  to  be  speaking  not  of  the  law  as  a 
whole  but  of  certain  statutes  which  he  charac- 
terized as  tending  to  life,  while  others  he  con- 
trasted with  these  as  not  good,  and  not  such  that 
one  could  live  in  them  (Kzek.  20  :  25).  Among 
the  latter  statutes,  those  whose  outcome  was  un- 
fortunate, was  apparently  that  command  given 
in  Exodus  (is :  12)  that  all  the  firstborn  should 
be  set  apart  unto  .Jehovah,  which  under  the 
pressure  of  superstitious  fear  had  issued  in  some 
desolating  form  of  idolatry  (Ezek.  20 :  26), 

6-18.  Unlaivful  marriages.  The  general 
principle  is  given  in  ver.  6  that  none  shall  ap- 
proach to  one  that  is  near  of  kin  for  the  purpose 
of  carnal  intercourse,  while  the  following  verses 
are  by  way  of  defining  the  prohibition  in  detail. 
An  exhaustive  list  of  proscribed  degrees  is  per- 


haps not  intended.  The  grandmother  and  the 
niece  are  omitted.  The  daughter  and  the  full 
sister  are  not  expressly  mentioned,  though  they 
are  necessarily  implied  in  ver.  9,  17.  The 
mother-in-law  does  not  appear  in  this  list, 
though  she  is  specified  in  the  curse  in  Deut. 
27  :  23.  The  prohibition  relates  to  both  mar- 
ried and  unmarried  sexual  intercourse — tech- 
nically called  "uncovering  the  nakedness" — 
but  the  reference  is  chiefly  to  the  former.  It  is 
addressed  to  men  and  not  to  women ;  and  there- 
fore the  reference  in  ver.  7  to  the  father's  na- 
kedness indicates  the  father's  honor  as  involved 
in  that  of  the  mother  (see  r.  v.).  In  general 
(see  ver.  8,  10,  12,  14,  15, 16)  it  is  the  houor  of  the 
man  as  the  head  of  the  family  which  is  made 
the  main  consideration  in  impressing  the  person 
with  the  enormity  of  the  crime.  The  offenses 
specified  in  ver.  7,  8,  9, 15, 17  are  expressly  men- 
tioned in  chap.  20  (n.  12,  i4,  n)  as  to  be  pun- 
ished by  death ;  while  on  the  other  hand  the 
only  threat  held  out  against  the  offenses  men- 
tioned in  ver.  12,  14,  15,  16  is  that  those  commit- 
ting such  crimes  shall  bear  their  iniquity,  or  die 
childless  (see  20  :  19-21).  The  cases  mentioned  in 
ver.  10,  11  are  passed  over  in  chap.  20. 

8.  Thy  father's  Avife.  This  was  Reuben's 
crime  (Gen.  35 :  22 ;  49  :  3,  4)  and  in  Paul's  time  the 
offense  was  held  in  such  abhorrence  as  to  be 
"  not  so  much  as  named  among  the  Gentiles" 
(1  Cor.  5  :  i).  9.  Thy  sister.  It  is  difficult  to 
distinguish  this  case  from  that  in  ver.  11,  but 
between  them  they  certainly  forbid  connection 
with  a  half-sister.  This  rule  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  observed  by  the  early  Hebrews,  as  we 
should  infer  from  the  case  of  Abrfiham  (ocn.  jp .- 


Ch.  xvm.] 


LEVITICUS 


77 


12  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy 
father's  sister  :  she  is  thy  father's  near  kinswoman. 

13  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  tliy 
mother's  sister :  for  she  is  thy  motlier's  near  kins- 
woman. 

14  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy 
father's  brother,  thou  shalt  nut  approach  to  his 
wife  :  she  is  thine  aunt. 

15  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy 
daughter  in  law  :  she  is  thy  son's  wife  ;  thou  shalt 
not  uncover  her  nakedness. 

16  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy 
brother's  wife  :  it  <s  thy  brother's  nakedness. 

17  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  a 
woman  and  her  daughter,  neither  shalt  thou  take 
her  son's  daughter,  or  her  daughter's  daughter,  to 
uncover  her  nakedness  ;  for  they  are  her  near  kins- 
women :  it  is  wickedness. 

18  Neither  shalt  thou  take  a  wife  to  her  sister,  to 
vex  her,  to  uncover  her  nakedness,  beside  the  other 
in  her  life  tiine. 

19  Also  thou  shalt  not  approach  unto  a  woman  to 
uncover  her  nakedness,  as  long  as  she  is  put  apart 
for  her  uncleanness. 

20  Moreover  thou  shalt  not  lie  carnally  with  thy 
neighbour's  wife,  to  defile  thyself  with  her. 

21  And  thou  shalt  not  let  any  of  thy  seed  pass 
through  the  fire  to  Molech,  neither  shalt  thou  pro- 
fane the  name  of  thy  God  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

22  Thou  shalt  not  lie  with  mankind,  as  with 
womankind  :  it  is  abomination. 


12  shalt  not  uncover  her  nakedness.  Thou  shalt 
not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy  father's  sister : 

13  she  is  tliy  father's  near  kinswoman.  Thou  shalt 
not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy  motlier's  sis- 
ter:  fur  .she  is  tliy  mother's  near  kinswoman. 

14  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  thy 
father's  brother,  thou  shalt  not  approach  to  his 

15  wife  :  she  is  thine  aunt.  Thou  shalt  not  uncover 
the  nakedness  of  thy  daughter  in  law  :  she  is 
thy  son's  wife  ;  thou  shalt  not  uncover  her  naked- 

16  ness.  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of 
thy  brother's  wife  :  it  is  thy  brother's  nakedness. 

17  Thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of  a 
woman  and  her  daughter ;  thou  shalt  not  take 
her  son's  daughter,  or  her  daughter's  daughter, 
to  uncover  her  nakedness  ;  they  are  near  kins- 

18  women :  it  is  wickedness.  And  thou  shalt  not 
take  a  woman  to  her  sister,  to  be  a  rival  to  her, 
to  uncover  her  nakedness,  beside  the  other  in 

19  her  life  time.  And  thou  shalt  not  approach  unto 
a  woman  to  uncover  her  nakedness,  as  long  as 

20  she  is  impure  by  her  uncleanness.  And  thou 
shalt  not  lie  carnally  with  thy  neighbour's  wife, 

21  to  defile  thyself  with  her.  And  thou  shalt  not 
give  any  of  thy  seed  to  make  them  pass  through 
the  fire  to  Molech,  neither  shalt  thou  profane  the 

22  name  of  thy  God  :  I  am  the  Lord.  Thou  shalt 
not  lie  with  mankind,  as  with  womankind :  it  is 


la).  12.  Thy  father's  sister.  Moses  himself 
was  the  fruit  of  such  a  connection  as  this,  which 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  considered  wrong 
when  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  Egypt 
(seeExod.  6:20).  There  w^as  pcrhaps  greater  prej- 
udice against  the  marriage  of  a  nephew  and 
aunt  than  against  that  of  an  uncle  and  niece, 
which  is  not  mentioned  here,  and  which  is 
permitted  by  Jewish  tradition,  because  in  the 
former  case  the  question  of  the  kinswoman's 
superiority  to  the  husband  might  be  more  likely 
to  arise  and  become  troublesome.  16.  Thy 
brother's  wife.  When  the  brother's  widow 
was  left  without  children  it  became  the  duty  of 
the  surviving  brother,  according  to  another 
stratum  of  the  legislation,  to  take  her  to  wnfe 

(see   Deut.  25  :  5  ;    cf.    Matt.  22  :  24).       This    appears    to 

have  been  an  old  Hebrew^  custom  (see  Gen.  38  :  8)^ 
which  was  perhaps  recognized  in  Deuteronomy 
as  an  exception  rendered  necessary  by  the  pecu- 
liar circumstances  described,  while  the  general 
rule  is  given  here.  "  As  the  importance  of  the 
individnal  over  the  family  increased,  Levirate 
marriages  were  regarded  with  increasing  dis- 
favor. They  were  discouraged  by  later  Jewish 
feeling;  and  in  Talmudic  times  (first  to  fifth 
cent.  A.  D.)  legal  authorities  pronounced  usually 
against  them  "  (Driver).  18.  A  Avoman  to 
her  sister.  This  refers  to  the  taking  of  two 
sisters  as  wives  at  the  same  time  to  be  rivals  to 
each  other.  The  sharp  dealing  of  Laban  with 
Jacob  in  the  matter  of  Leah  and  Rachel  seems 
to  have  rankled  in  Israelitish  memory  (see  Gen. 

29  :  15-30). 


19  -  23.  Unchastity  and  3Iolech  worship. 
19.  Also  thou  shalt  not  approach,  etc. 
This  crime  was  to  be  visited  with  the  heaviest 
penalty  (see  20  :  is).  20.  Moreover  thou  shalt 

not  lie,  etc.  This  comes  under  the  explicit 
prohibition  of  the  Decalogue  (see  Exod.  20 -.u)^ 
and  is  also  punished  with  the  supreme  penalty 

(20    :    10;    Deut.    22    :    22  ;     cf.    John   8    :    5).        21.    PaSS 

throu§:hthe  fire  to  Molech,  lit., ^ass^Aro^f/A 
to  3Iolech.  The  Molech — always  with  the  article 
— is  literally  ^Ae  king.  The  word  consists  of  the 
consonants  of  melek,  "  king,"  perhaps  vocalized 
with  the  vowels  of  hosheth,  "  sliame,"  in  order 
to  express  the  Jewish  contempt  and  abhorrence 
for  the  heathen  god.  It  is  the  name  or  title  of 
the  divinity  which  the  men  of  Judah  in  the  last 
days  of  the  monarchy  were  wont  to  propitiate 
by  the  sacrifice  of  their  own  children.  This 
"causing  to  pass  through  the  fire"  appears 
from  Ezek.  16  :  20,  21  to  have  been  an  actual 
slaying  of  the  children  rather  than  a  mere  con- 
secration to  Molech  by  passing  tli rough  or  be- 
tween fires.  The  late  rabbinical  picture  of  a  calf- 
headed  image  in  which  children  were  burned 
alive  is  of  very  slight  authority.  At  the  san)e 
time  the  allusions  are  not  decisive  as  to  whether 
the  victims  were  first  slain  like  any  other  burnt 
offering,  or  burned  alive  (comp.  jer.  7  :  3i ;  i9  :  5, 

with    Ezek.    16  :  20  ;     Tsa.    57  :  5  ;     Jer.    19  :  4  :     Ps.    106  :  38) 

or  possibly,  as  the  peculiar  expression,  "pas.s- 
ing  through  the  fire,"  might  indicate,  subjected 
to  a  fiery  ordeal  involving  the  risk,  or  almost 
the  certainty,  of  death.  These  horrid  rites 
were  associated  especially  with  the  valley  of 


78 


LEVITICUS 


[Cii.  XIX. 


23  Neither  slialt  thou  lie  with  any  beast  to  defile 
thyself  therewith  ;  neither  sliuli  any  woman  stand 
before  a  beast  to  lie  down  thereto  :  it  is  confusion. 

•24  Defile  not  j'e  yourselves  in  any  of  these  things : 
for  in  all  these  the  nations  are  defiled  which  I  cast 
out  before  you :  ,,,,.. 

25  And  the  land  is  defiled  :  therefore  I  do  visit 
the  iniquity  thereof  upon  it,  and  the  land  itself 
vomiteth  out  her  inhabitants. 

2G  Ye  shall  therefore  keep  my  statutes  and  my 
iudgments,  and  shall  not  commit  any  of  these  abom- 
inations; neither  any  of  your  own  nation,  nor  any 
stranger  that  sojourneth  among  you  : 

27  (1^'or  all  tliese  abominations  have  the  men  of 
the  land  done,  which  were  before  you,  and  the  land 
is  defiled ;) 

28  That  the  land  spue  not  you  out  also,  when  ye 
defile  it,  as  it  spued  out  the  nations  that  werx  before 
you. 

2y  For  whosoever  shall  commitany  of  these  abom- 
inations, even  the  souls  that  commit  theyn  shall  be 
cut  oil  from  among  their  pecjple. 

30  Therefore  sfiall  ye  keep  mine  ordinance,  that 
ye  commit  not  any  one  of  these  abominable  cus- 
t(jms,  which  were  committed  before  you,  and  that 
ye  defile  not  yourselves  therein :  I  a//t  tlie  Lord 
your  God. 


23  abomination.  And  thou  shalt  not  lie  with  any 
beast  to  defile  thyself  therewith  :  neither  shall 
any  woman  stand  before  a  beast,  to  lie  down 
thereto:  it  is  confusion. 

24  Defile  not  ye  yourselves  in  any  of  these  things  : 
for  in  all  these  the  nations  are  defiled  which  I 

25  cast  out  from  before  you :  and  the  land  is  de- 
filed :  therefore  I  do  visit  the  iniquity  thereof 
upon  it,  and  the  land  vomiteth  out  her  inhabit- 

26  ants.  Ye  therefore  shall  keep  my  statutes  and 
my  judgements,  and  shall  not  do  any  of  these 
abominations;   neitlier  the  homeborn,  nor  the 

27  stranger  that  sojourneth  among  you:  (for  all 
these  abominations  have  the  men  of  the  land 
done,  which  were  before  you,  and  the  land  is 

28  defiled  ;)  that  the  land  vomit  not  you  out  also, 
when  ye  defile  it,  as  it  vomited  out  the  nation 

29  that  was  before  you.  For  whosoever  shall  do 
any  of  these  abominations,  even  the  souls  that 
do  them  shall  be  cut  oft'  from  among  their  peo- 

30  pie.  Therefore  shall  ye  keep  my  charge,  that 
ye  do  not  any  of  these  abominable  customs, 
which  were  done  before  you,  and  that  ye  defile 
not  yourselves  therein  :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


CHAPTEK    XIX. 

1  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  |     1      AND    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,   saying, 


Hinnom  or  Tophet  where  they  were  practised ; 
and  possibly  these  horrible  associations  may 
have  contributed  to  qualify  that  ill-omened 
valley  to  furnish  the  name  Gehenna,  "land  of 
Hinnom,"  to  the  place  of  eternal  fire,  or  pun- 
ishment, as  conceived  of  in  the  New  Testament 
times  (see  Matt.  5  :  22, 29,  3o).  The  children  of  Is- 
rael seem  to  have  developed  a  propensity  for 
this  gloomy  form  of  worship,  derived  from  the 
Canaanites,  in  the  later  days  of  the  monarchy 
when  under  the  anxieties  and  miseries  caused 
by  the  advance  of  the  Assyrian  power  the  old 
gladness  of  Israel's  faith  was  swallowed  up  in  a 
sense  of  divine  anger,  and  all  religion  was  trans- 
formed into  servile  fear.  "At  the  same  time 
the  horrid  ritual  was  so  closely  associated  with 
Jehovah- worship  (Ezek.  23  :  z^)  that  Jeremiah 
more  than  once  finds  it  necessary  to  protest  that 
it  is  not  of  Jehovah's  institution  (Jer.  7  :  31 ; 
19  :  5).  So  too,  it  is  the  idea  of  sacrificing  the 
firstborn  to  Jehovah  that  is  discussed  and  re- 
jected in  Micah  6 : 7  "  (W.  H.  Smith).  Whether 
these  overwhelming  temptations  to  propitiate 
an  angry  deity  by  human  sacrifice  existed  in 
the  time  of  Moses,  or  whether,  on  the  other 
hand,  these  precepts  reflect  the  conditions  of 
the  time  when  the  priest  code  was  put  into  its 
final  shape,  is  a  question  which  the  present 
state  of  our  knowledge  leaves  undecided.  The 
rites  coniiectod  with  the  worship  of  Moleeh  are 
not  known.  From  the  connection  in  which  the 
prohibitions  of  Moleeh  worship  are  found,  and 
from  the  expressions  associated  with  them, 
these  practices  appear  to  have  been  essentially 


connected  with  magical  arts,  probably  also  with 

unlawful    lusts    (see    20  :  5,  6  ;     Deut.    18  :  10,    11 )    and 

with   some  particular  form  of  profane  swearing 

(see   last   clause   of  this  ver.  ;    20  :  3  ;   cf.  Zeph.  1:5).      The 

law  in  ver.  22,  though  general  in  its  word- 
ing, is  probably  aimed  at  the  same  practice  as 
that  prohibited  in  Deut.  23  :  17,  namely,  religious 
prostitution,  or  prostitution  in  connection  with 
the  temple  worship,  a  practice  of  Canaanitish 
origin  which  made  its  way  into  Israel  and 
Judah  in  the  days  of  the  monarchy  (see  i  Kings 

14  :  24  ;    15  :  12  ;    22  :  46  ;    2  Kings  23  :  7). 

24-30.  Warning  conclusion.  The  warning 
circumstance  which  is  held  up  before  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  evidently  as  a  great  palpable 
object-lesson,  is  the  destruction  of  the  Canaan- 
ites which,  except  as  a  matter  of  faith  and  in- 
tention, had  not  become  a  visible  fact  in  the 
time  of  the  wilderness  journey.  These  nations 
had  defiled  the  land  with  the  crimes  named, 
particularly,  we  may  presume,  those  of  abomi- 
nable unchastity  and  Moleeh  worship.  Their 
destruction  is  attributed  to  the  visitation  of 
God,  and  to  the  disgust  of  the  very  land  itself 
which  is  described  as  vomiting  them  out.  The 
people  are  warned  against  doing  the  like  acts 
lest  the  land  also  eject  them  in  the  same  way. 


Chap.  19.  1-8.  A  collection  of  mis- 
cellaneous LAWS.  The  precepts  of  this 
chapter  are  addressed  to  the  whole  congregation 
of  Israel,  and  they  inculcate  especially  those 
duties  toward  God  and  toAvard  one's  neighbor 
which  are  derived  from  the  consideration  of  the 


Ch.  XIX.] 


LEVITICUS 


79 


2  Speak  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  Ye  shall  be  holy  :  for 
I  the  Lord  yqur  God  ain  lioly. 

3  Ye  shall  fear  every  man  his  mother,  and  his 
father,  and  keep  my  sabbaths :  I  am  the  Lord  your 
God. 

4  Turn  ye  not  unto  idols,  nor  make  to  yourselves 
molten  go'ds  :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

5  And  if  ye  offer  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings 
unto  the  Lord,  ye  shall  offer  it  at  your  own  will. 

6  It  shall  be  eaten  the  same  day  ye  offer  it,  and 
on  the  morrow :  and  if  ought  remain  until  the 
third  dav,  it  shall  be  burnt  in  the  lire. 

7  Aud"if  it  be  eaten  at  all  on  the  third  day,  it  is 
abominable  ;  it  shall  not  be  accepted. 

8  Therefore  every  one  tliat  eateth  it  shall  bear  his 
iniquitv,  because  he  hath  profaned  the  hallowed 
thing  of  the  Lord :  and  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off 
from  among  his  people. 

9  And  when  ye  reap  the  harvest  of  your  land, 
thou  Shalt  not  \vholly  reap  the  corners  of  thy  field, 
neither  shalt  thou  gather  the  gleanings  of  thy 
harvest. 

10  And  thou  shalt  not  glean  thy  vineyard,  neither 
shalt  thou  gather  every  grape  of  thy  vineyard  ;  thou 
shalt  leave  them  for  the  poor  and  stranger:  I  cw/i 
the  Lord  your  God. 

11  Ye  shall  not  steal,  neither  deal  falsely,  neither 
lie  one  to  another. 

12  And  ye  shall  not  swear  by  ray  name  falsely, 
neither  shalt  thou  profane  the  name  of  thy  God  :  I 
am  the  Lord. 

13  Thou  shalt  not  defraud  thy  neighbour,  neither 
rob  him:  the  wages  of  him  that  is  hired  shall  not 
abide  with  thee  all  night  until  the  morning. 

14  Thou  shalt  not  curse  the  deaf,  nor  put  a  stum- 
blingblock  before  the  blind,  but  shalt  fear  thy  God  : 
I  am  the  Lord. 

15  Ye  shall  do  no  unrighteousness  in  judgment: 
thou  shalt  not  respect  the  person  of  the  poor,  nor 
honour  the  person  of  the  mighty  :  but  in  righteous- 
ness shalt  thou  judge  thy  neighbour. 


2  Speak  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  say  unto  theni.  Ye  shall  be  holy  : 

3  for  I  the  Lord  your  God  am  holy.  Ye  shall  fear 
every  man  his  mother,  and  his  father,  and  ye 
shall  keep  my  sabbaths :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

4  Turn  ye  not  unto  idols,  nor  make  to  yourselves 

5  molten  gods :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  And 
when  ye  offer  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings  unto 
the  Lord,  ye  shall  offer  it  that  ye  may  be  ac- 

6  cepted.  It  shall  be  eaten  the  same  day  ye  offer 
it,  and  on  the  morrow :  and  if  aught  remain 
until  the  third  day,  it  shall  be  burnt  with  fire. 

7  And  if  it  be  eaten  at  all  on  the  third  day,  it  is 

8  an  abomination ;  it  shall  not  be  accepted  :  but 
every  one  that  eateth  it  shall  bear  his  iniquity, 
because  he  hath  profaned  the  holy  thing  of  tlie 
Lord :  and  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his 
people. 

9  And  when  ye  reap  the  harvest  of  your  land, 
thon  shiilt  not  wholly  reap  the  corners  of  thy 
field,  neither  shalt  thou  gather  the  gleaning  of 

10  thy  harvest.  And  thou  shalt  not  glean  thy  vine- 
yard, neither  shalt  thou  gather  the  fallen  fruit 
of  thy  vineyard  ;  thou  shalt  leave  them  for  the 
poor  and  for  the  stranger :  I  am  the  Lord  your 

11  God.    Ye  shall  not  steal ;  neither  shall  ye  deal 

12  falsely,  nor  lie  one  to  another.  And  ye  shall  not 
swear  by  my  name  falsely,  so  that  thou  profane 

13  the  name  of  thy  God :  I  am  the  Lord.  Thou 
shalt  not  oppress  thy  neighbour,  nor  rob  him  : 
the  wages  of  a  hired  servant  shall  not  abide  with 

14  thee  all  night  until  the  morning.  Thou  shalt 
not  curse  the  deaf,  nor  put  a  stumblingblock 
before  the  blind,  but  thou  shalt  fear  thy  God  :  I 

15  am  the  Lord.  Ye  shall  do  no  unrighteousness 
in  judgement :  thou  shalt  not  respect  the  person 
of  the  poor,  nor  honour  the  person  of  the  mighty  : 
but  in  righteousness  shalt  thou  judge  thy  ueigh- 


holiness  of  the  God  with  whom  each  one  had  to 
do.    2.  The  keynote  is  Ye  shall  be  holy,  for 

I  am  holy  (cf.  ll  :  44,  45  :    20  :  7  ;    1  Peter  1  :  16).     This 

is  the  characteristic  note  of  the  Law  of  Holiness ; 
but  here  the  divine  holiness  seems  to  be  con- 
ceived of  as  the  prototype  and  sanction  of  ethical 
worth  and  mercy,  rather  than  as  a  mere  sef)a- 
rateness  or  distance  from  human  frailty  such  as 
forms  the  sanction  for  ceremonial  separateness 
from  common  life.  This  precept  is  ethically 
more  explicit  than  the  Shema  of  Deuteronomy 
(6:5),  which  our  Lord  calls  the  tirst  and  great 
commandment,  because  it  expressly  teaches  the 
moral  nature  of  Jehovah,  while  the  other  as- 
sumes that  as  known  and  simply  emphasizes  his 
unity ;  but  it  is  in  this  chapter  that  the  further 
duty  of  love  to  our  neighbor — the  second  com- 
mandment— is  deduced  from  the  primary  ol)liga- 
tion  of  godlike  holiness  (see  on  ver.  is).  The  laws 
in  this  first  group  are  analogous  to  those  of  the 
first  table  of  the  Decalogue.  We  have  here  the 
the  fifth  and  the  fourth  (ver.  3)  and  the  first  and 
second  commandments  (ver.  4).  The  rest  of  the 
paragraph  is  taken  up  with  a  repetition  and 
amplification  of  the  regulation  already  given  in 
7  :  15-18.  5,  Ye  shall  offer  it  at  your  own 
will  J  rather,  that  ye  may  be  accepted  (see  r.  v.  ; 


comp.  1:3).  In  the  seventh  chapter  {loc.  cit.)  the 
permission  to  eat  on  the  next  day  is  given  only 
in  case  of  a  vow  or  a  freewill  offering,  while  in 
case  of  a  thanksgiving  offering  the  sacrifice  must 
be  eaten  the  same  day. 

9-18,  The  commands  of  this  group  are 
mostly  analogous  to  those  of  the  second  table  of 
the  Decalogue,  except  ver.  12  which  is  the  same 
as  the  third  commandment.  The  humane  teach- 
ing of  ver.  9,  10  is  repeated  in  23  :  22,  and  still 
more  fully  in  Deut.  24  :  19-21.  10.  Every 
grape,  rather,  faUen  fruit,  as  in  R.  V.  The 
word  vineyard  may  be  taken  to  mean  any  fruit 
garden.  "The  poor  is  the  poor  Israelite — the 
stranger  is  propei'ly  the  foreigner,  who  could 
possess  no  land  of  his  own  in  the  land  of  Israel " 
("Bible  Commentary").  In  ver.  11  we  have 
the  eighth  commandment,  and  it  is  expanded  so 
as  to  include  a  prohibition  of  cheating  and  lying. 
The  commands  in  ver.  13-18  indicate  a  singular 
humanity  and  delicacy  whose  spirit  is  fittingly 
summed  up  in  the  last  clause  of  ver.  18.  13. 
Defraud  thy  neighbor  should  be  oppress 
thy  neighbor  (R.  V.),  the  crime  being  dis- 
tinguished from  that  in  ver.  11  as  a  crime  of 
violence  or  power  rather  than  of  craft.  The 
latter  clause  of  this  verse  inculcates  a  thought- 


80 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XIX. 


16  Thou  Shalt  not  go  up  and  down  as  a  talebearer 
among  thy  people  :  neither  shalt  thou  stand  against 
the  blood  of  thy  neighbour  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

17  Thou  shalt  not  liate  thy  brother  in  thine  heart : 
thou  shalt  in  any  wise  rebuke  thy  neighbour,  and 
not  suffer  sin  upon  him. 

18  Thou  shalt  not  avenge,  nor  bear  any  grudge 
against  the  children  of  thy  people,  but  thou  shalt 
love  thv  neighbour  as  thyself:  I  aiu  the  Lord. 

19  Ye"  shall  keep  my  statutes.  Thou  shalt  not  let 
thy  cattle  gender  with  a  diverse  kind  :  thou  shalt 
not  sow  thy  field  with  mingled  S(.ed  :  neither  shall 
a  garment  mingled  of  linen  and  woollen  come  upon 
thee. 

20  And  whosoever  lieth  carnally  with  a  woman, 
that  is  a  bondmaid,  betrothed  to  an  husband,  and 
not  at  all  redeemed,  nor  freedom  given  her ;  she 
shall  be  scourged  ;  they  shall  not  be  put  to  death, 
because  she  was  not  free. 

21  And  he  shall  bring  his  trespass  offering  unto 
the  Lord,  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  even  a  ram  for  a  trespass  offering. 

22  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for 
him  with  the  ram  of  the  trespass  offering  before  the 


16  bour.  Thou  shalt  not  go  up  and  down  as  a  tale- 
bearer among  thy  people :  neither  shalt  thou 
stand  against  the  blood  of  thy  neighbour  ;  I  am 

17  the  Lord.  Thou  shalt  not  hate  thy  brother  in 
thine  heart :  thou  shalt  surely  rebuke  thy  neigh- 

18  bour,  and  not  bear  sin  because  of  him.  Thou 
shalt  not  take  vengeance,  nor  bear  any  grudge 
against  the  children  of  thy  people,  but  thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself:  I  am  the  Lord. 

19  Ye  shall  keep  my  statutes.  Thou  shalt  not  let 
thy  cattle  gender  with  a  diverse  kind  :  thou  shalt 
not  sow  thy  field  with  two  kinds  of  seed  :  neither 
shall  there  come  upon  thee  a  garment  of  two 

20  kinds  of  stuff  mingled  together.  And  whosoever 
lielh  carnally  with  a  woman,  that  is  a  bond- 
maid, betrothed  to  an  husband,  and  not  at  all 
redeemed,  nor  freedom  given  her  ;  they  shall  be 
punished ;  they  shall  not  be  put  to  death,  be- 

21  cause  she  was  not  free.  And  he  shall  bring  his 
guilt  offering  unto  the  Lord,  unto  the  door  of  the 
tent  of  meeting,  even  a  ram  for  a  guilt  offering. 

22  And  the  priest  shall  make  atonement  for  him 
with  the  ram  of  the  guilt  offering  before  the 


fulness  for  the  poor — a,  golden-rule  considerate- 
ness  for  his  condition  as  dependent  on  his  daily- 
wage  such  as  was  no  doubt  often  neglected  (see 
James  5:4).  At  the  Same  time  the  poor  are  not 
dealt  with  in  any  demagogue's  spirit,  nor  stirred 
up  against  the  rich  as  a  class.  In  ver.  15  it  is  to  be 
observed  that  they  are  no  more  to  be  treated  with 
respect  of  persons  than  the  mighty.  16.  This 
is  practically  the  ninth  commandment  some- 
Mhat  enlarged  in  its  scope.  To  stand  against 
the  blood  of  thy  neighbour  is  to  seek  or  wish 
to  destroy  him  by  legal  means,  using  the  instru- 
mentality of  the  courts  against  him  in  the  spirit 
of  revenge  rather  than  of  justice.  17.  Thou 
shalt  in  anywise  rebuke,  etc.  The  sense 
would  be  more  nearly  expressed  by :  Thou  shalt 
take  pahis  to  set  thy  neighbor  right,  and  not  hear 
sin  on  his  accouvt,  that  is,  do  not  leave  him  in 
the  dark,  or  pursue  him  with  secret  hatred.  All 
these  verses  inculcate  such  a  spirit  of  neighbor- 
liness  and  avoidance  of  malice  as  is  expressed  in 
general  terms  in  ver.  18,  while  for  exalted  deli- 
cacy and  thoughtfulness  nothing  could  exceed 
the  beauty  of  ver.  14  which  forbids  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  physically  unfortunate.  The 
summary  precept  in  the  second  half  of  ver.  18, 
the  benefit  of  which  is  extended  in  ver.  34  to  the 
foreigner,  was  counted  by  our  Saviour  as  one  of 
the  two  commands  on  which  hang  all  the  law 
and  the  prophets  (Matt.  22  :  39,  40).  Its  importance 
was  very  strongly  felt  by  Paul  (Rom.  is  :  9;  Gai. 

5  :  H)  and  James  (.lames  2:8). 

19-22.  19.  This  verse  in  form  commences 
a  new  section  with  a  distinct  introduction,  Ye 
shall  keep  my  statutes.  These  four  verses, 
however,  seem  to  be  somewhat  miscellaneous, 
or  dislocated  and  alien  to  the  general  tenor 
of  the  chapter.  Ver.  20,  for  instance,  which, 
unlike  the  verses   preceding,  is  in  the  third 


person,  seems  to  be  more  properly  of  a  piece 
with  chap.  20,  where  it  would  stand  suitably 
after  ver.  10.  Ver.  21,  22,  prescribing  a  guilt 
oiFering,  are  more  after  the  manner  of  the  priest 
code  than  of  this  Law  of  Holiness.  Thou 
shalt  not  let  thy  cattle,  etc.  The  use 
of  mules  was  customary,  at  least  in  the  royal 
family,  in  David's  time  and  onward  (see  2  sam. 

13  :  29;    18  :  9  ;    1  Kings    1  :  33)    but    thcse    may    haVC 

been  imported  from  abroad  (see  i  Kings  10:25). 
Thou  shalt  not  sow  thy  field,  etc.  In 
Deuteronomy  (22  :  9)  it  is  the  vineyard,  and  the 
penalty  is  that  the  seed  sown  and  also  the  prod- 
uct of  the  vineyard  shall  become  consecrated 
to  the  sanctuary.  In  the  description  of  the  gar- 
ment of  mixed  stuff,  the  addition,  of  linen  and 
woolen,  in  the  authorized  version,  is  imported 
by  the  translators  from  Deut.  22  :  11.  The  word 
UID^__\^,  sha'atnez,  used  in  both  of  these  passages 
to  describe  the  stuff,  is  a  peculiar  one  whose 
meaning  is  not  exactly  known ;  and  it  appears 
that  only  the  particular  mixture  thus  named 
was  forbidden,  as  it  is  not  unlikely,  if  we  follow 
Josephus  and  the  rabbins,  that  the  priests'  gar- 
ments and  the  curtains  of  the  tabernacle  were 
made  of  some  permitted  mixture  of  linen  and 
woolen.  20.  She  shall  be  scourged,  rather, 
there  shall  be  judicial  investigation,  but  the 
penalty  according  to  the  Mishnah  was  scourging. 
Death  was  the  punishment  for  unfaithfulness  in 
a  betrothed  woman,  according  to  Deuteronomy 
(see  Deut.  22  :  23, 24)^  and  slic  was  prcsumcd  un- 
faithful if  she  was  in  a  position  to  summon  help 
by  an  outcry  and  did  not.  The  apparent  dif- 
ference in  these  regulations  may  perhaps  be  ex- 
plained by  the  fact  that  here  the  word  translated 
betrothed  is  not  the  regular  word,  and  may 
mean  simply  legally  secured,  e.  g.  as  a  concubine. 
21,  22.  The  guilt  offering  was  due  because  the 


Ch.  XIX.] 


LEVITICUS 


81 


Lord  for  his  sin  which  he  hath  done :  and  the  sin 
which  he  hath  done  shall  be  forgiven  him. 

23  And  when  ye  shall  come  into  the  land,  and 
shall  have  planted  all  manner  of  trees  for  food, 
then  ye  shall  count  the  fruit  thereof  as  uncircum- 
cised  :  three  years  shall  it  be  as  uncircumcised  unto 
[you  :  it  shall  not  be  eaten  of. 

F    24  But  in  the  fourth  year  all  the  fruit  thereof 
shall  be  holy  to  praise  the  Lord  withal. 

25  And  in  the  fifth  year  shall  ye  eat  of  the  fruit 
^thereof,  that  it  may  yield  unto  you  the  increase 
'thereof :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

26  Ye  shall  not  eat  aiiy  thing  Avith  the  blood : 
.neither   shall  ye  use   enchantment,   nor  observe 

Dimes. 

27  Ye  shall  not  round  the  corners  of  your  heads, 
neither  shalt  thou  mar  the  corners  of  thy  beard. 

28  Ye  shall  not  make  any  cuttings  in  your  flesh 
for  the  dead,  nor  print  any  marks  upon  you  :  I  am 
the  Lord. 

29  Do  not  prostitute  thy  daughter,  to  cause  her  to 
be  a  whore  ;  lest  the  land  fall  to  whoredom,  and  the 
land  become  full  of  wickedness. 

30  Ye  shall  keep  my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary :  I  am  the  Lord. 

31  Regard  not  them  that  have  familiar  spirits, 
neither  seek  after  wizards,  to  be  defiled  by  them  : 
I  ajiv  the  Lord  your  God. 

32  Thou  shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and 
honour  the  face  of  the  old  man,  and  fear  thy  God: 
I  am  the  Lord. 

33  And  if  a  stranger  sojourn  with  thee  in  your 
land,  ye  shall  not  vex  him. 


Lord  for  his  sin  which  he  hath  sinned  :  and  he 
shall  be  forgiven   for  his  sin  which  he  hath 

23  sinned.  And  when  ye  shall  come  into  the  land, 
and  shall  have  planted  all  manner  of  trees  for 
food,  then  ye  shall  count  the  fruit  thereof  as 
their  uncircumcision  :  three  years  shall  they  be 
as  uncircumcised  unto  you  ;  it  shall  not  be  eaten. 

24  But  in  the  fourth  year  all  the  fruit  thereof  shall 

25  be  holy,  for  giving  praise  unto  the  Lord.  And 
in  the  fifth  year  shall  ye  eat  of  the  fruit  thereof, 
that  it  may  yield  unto  you  the  increase  thereof : 

26  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  Ye  shall  not  eat  any 
thing  with  the  blood  :  neither  shall  ye  use  en- 

27  chautments,  nor  practise  augury.  Ye  shall  not 
round  the  corners  of  your  heads,  neither  shalt 

28  thou  mar  the  corners  of  thy  beard.  Ye  shall 
not  make  any  cuttings  in  your  flesh  for  the 
dead,  nor  print  any  marks  upon  you :  I  am  the 

29  Lord.  Profane  not  thy  daughter,  to  make  her  a 
harlot ;  lest  the  land  fall  to  whoredom,  and  the 

30  land  become  full  of  wickedness.  Ye  shall  keep 
my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my  sanctuary :  I  am 

31  the  Lord.  Turn  ye  not  unto  them  that  have 
familiar  spirits,  nor  unto  the  wizards  ;  seek  them 
not  out,  to  be  defiled  by  them :  I  am  the  Lord 

32  your  God.  Thou  shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary 
head,  and  honour  the  face  of  the  old  man,  and 

33  thou  shalt  fear  thy  God :  I  am  the  Lord.  And 
if  a  stranger  sojourn  with  thee  in  your  land,  ye 


person  had  not  only  sinned  with  the  woman,  but 
had  inflicted  a  damage  on  the  rights  of  the 
master.     See  on  the  guilt  offering,  6  :  14,  seq. 

23-37.  This  group  of  verses  is  a  kind  of  sup- 
plement to  ver.  2-19,  with  a  special  introduction 
in  ver.  23,  and  containing  injunctions  of  a  some- 
what more  general  character.  The  section  ex- 
plicitly refers  to  the  condition  of  things  when 
the  people  of  Israel  shall  have  entered  upon 
their  anticipated  possession,  and  is  pervaded 
with  the  apprehension  of  the  corrupting  idol- 
atrous influences  with  which  they  will  be  sur- 
rounded. All  that  goes  to  foster  the  feeling  that 
they  are  a  separate  people  is  carefully  prescribed. 
The  fruit  trees  which  are  planted  (ver.  23-25)  are 
to  be  treated  in  a  way  suggestive  of  the  abhor- 
rence of  uncircumcision.  The  eating  of  meat 
"upon  the  blood,"  i.  e.  not  properly  slaughtered 
(ver.  26),  which  is  many  times  forbidden  (see  on 
17  :  10)  is  again  referred  to,  perhaps  because 
among  the  heathen  there  may  have  been  idol- 
atrous or  magic  rites  embodying  this  practice 
(cf.  Ezek.  33  :  25).  The  rouudiug  of  the  corners 
of  the  head  (ver.  27),  according  to  Herodotus, 
was  practised  by  the  desert  Arabs  in  honor  of 
their  god  Orotal,  whence  Jeremiah  nicknamed 
them  "  clipped-corners"  (Jer.  9  :  26 ;  25 :  23 ;  49 :  32). 
The  injunction  against  clipping  the  corners  of 
the  beard  is  especially  emphasized  for  the  priests 
in  21  :  5.  The  cutting  of  the  flesh  (ver.  28)  in 
token  of  grief  was  very  common  among  the  ex- 
citable races  of  the  East  (see  Jer.  le  :  6  ;   48  :  37),  but 

it  was  especially  characteristic  of  the  gloomy 


and  fanatical  heathen  (see  1  Kings  I8 :  28).  The 
tattoo  marks  (ver.  28  b)  were  not  a  token  of  grief, 
but  were  often  made  with  some  superstitious 
significance.  Finally,  the  temptation  to  prosti- 
tution (ver.  29)  lurked  everyAvhere,  and  the  act 
often  had  a  religious  sanction  (cf.  17  :  7 ;  Num. 
25:1,  seq. ).  The  great  safeguard,  calculated  to 
keep  strong  the  sense  of  national  and  religious 
separateness,  was  faithfulness  and  reverence  for 
Jehovah's  sabbaths  and  his  sanctuary  (ver.  30). 
It  was  the  efibrt  to  give  these,  especially  the 
latter,  their  essential  significance  and  power 
which  led  to  the  careful  regulations  about  bring- 
ing beasts  for  slaughter  to  the  door  of  the  tent 
of  meeting  (see  17  :  1-9). 

Faithfulness  to  God's  sabbaths  and  reverence 
for  his  sanctuary  would  awaken  confidence  in 
his  guidance,  and  so  preserve  the  people  from 
the  temptation  to  turn  aside  after  superstitious 
means  of  communicating  with  the  unseen  world. 
31.  Them  that  have  familiar  spirits  .  .  . 
wizards,  rather,  ghosts  and  familiar  spirits. 
The  words  used,  D'Jj;^^  nb5<,  'obhoth,  yidd^ 
'onim,  refer  here  to  the  spirits  themselves  rather 
than  to  the  persons,  as  also  in  20  :  27,  where  the 
expression  is,  "a  man  or  woman  in  whom  is  a 
spirit  or  a  familiar."  The  'obhoth  were  appar- 
ently speaking  spirits  within  the  soothsayer, 
whose  oracles  came  with  a  twittering  or  weak 
and  muttering  sound  as  if  from  the  person's 
belly  (isa.  8  :  19)  or  by  the  ventriloquist's  art 
were  made  to  seem  to  come  from  the  ground 
(laa.  29 : 4).   The  word  translated  "  wizard,"  which 


82 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XX. 


34  But  the  stranger  that  dvvelluth  with  you  shall 
be  unto  you  as  one  boru  amoug  you,  and  thou  shalt 
love  him  as  thyself;  for  ye  were  strangers  in  the 
land  of  Egypt :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

35  Ye  shall  do  no  unrighteousness  in  judgmeut, 
in  meteyard,  in  weiglit,  or  in  measure. 

36  Just  balances,  just  weights,  a  just  ephah,  and 
a  just  hill,  shall  ye  have  :  1  am  the  Lord  your  God, 
which  brought  you  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

37  Therefore  shall  ye  observe  all  my  statutes,  and 
all  my  judgments,  and  do  them :  I  avi  the  Lord. 


34  shall  not  do  him  wrong.  The  stranger  that 
sojourneth  with  you  shall  be  unto  you  as  the 
liomeborn  among  you,  and  thou  shalt  love  him 
as  thyself  ;  for  ye  were  strangers  in  the  land  of 

35  Egypt :  1  am  the  Lord  your  God.  Ye  shall  do  no 
unrighteousness  in  judgement,  in  meteyard,  in 

36  weight,  or  in  measure.  Just  balances,  just 
weights,  a  just  ephah,  and  a  just  hin,  shall  ye 
have :  1  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which  brought 

37  you  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  ye  shall  ob- 
serve all  my  statutes,  and  all  my  judgements, 
and  do  them :  I  am  the  Lord. 


CHAPTEK    XX. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Again,  thou  shalt  say  to  the  children  of  Israel, 
Whosoever  he  he  of  the  children  of  Israel,  or  of  the 
slrangers  that  sojourn  in  Israel,  that  giveth  any  of 
his  seed  unto  Molech  ;  he  shall  surely  be  put  to 
death  :  the  people  of  the  land  shall  stone  him  with 
blones. 

3  And  I  will  set  my  face  against  that  man,  and 
will  cut  him  off  from  among  his  people  ;  because  he 
hath  given  of  his  seed  unto  Molech,  to  detile  my 
sanctuary,  and  to  profane  my  holy  name. 

4  And  if  the  people  of  the  land  do  any  ways  hide 
their  eyes  from  the  man,  when  he  giveth  of  his 
seed  unto  Molech,  and  kill  him  not : 


1  AND   the    Lord    spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Moreover,  thou  slialt  say  to  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, Whosoever  he  be  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
or  of  the  strangers  that  sojourn  in  Israel,  that 
giveth  of  his  seed  unto  Molech  ;  he  shall  surely 
be  put  to  death :   the  people  of  the  land  shall 

3  stone  him  with  stones.  1  also  will  set  my  face 
against  that  man,  and  will  cut  him  off  from 
amoug  his  people  ;  because  he  hath  given  of  his 
seed  unto  Molech,  to  defile  my  sanctuary,  and  to 

4  profane  my  holy  name.  And  if  the  people  of  the 
land  do  any  w^ays  hide  their  eyes  from  that  man, 
when  he  giveth  of  his  seed  unto  Molech,  and  put 


is  from  the  root  to  know,  is  apparently  another 
term  for  the  same  spirit  only  under  a  different 
aspect,  that  of  being  "familiar"  with  the  par- 
ticular person,  or  perhaps  being  acquainted  with 
the  secrets  of  the  unseen  world.  The  second 
terra  is  never  used  except  in  connection  with 
the  first.  Eespect  for  the  aged  (ver.  32)  was  and 
is  a  virtue  in  which  most  of  the  Eastern  nations 
are  exemplary.  As  to  the  stranger  ( ver.  34) ,  or 
foreigner,  the  Israelite  is  expressly  forbidden  in 
Exod.  22  :  21 ;  23  :  9  to  oppress  him,  and  on  the 
same  ground  as  here,  namely,  that  he  himself 
has  been  a  stranger  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  Here, 
however,  he  is  bidden  to  take  the  foreigner  to 
his  heart  and  treat  him  like  a  brother,  or  love 
him  as  himself.  The  duty  of  conducting  all  ex- 
changes with  just  measures  (ver.  35, 36)  is  a  fre- 
quent  theme  for  the  Old  Testament   teacher 

(of.  Deut.  25  :  13-16  ;  Prov.  11  :  1  ;  16  :  11  ;  20  :  10  ;  Ezek. 
45  :  10  ;   Amos  8:5;  Micah  6  :  10,  ll).      The  ephah  waS 

the  standard  of  dry  measure,  and  according  to 
the  estimation  of  the  rabbins  contained  a  little 
over  half  a  bushel ;  the  hin  was  the  standard  of 
liquid  measure,  and  contained  a  little  less  than 
three  quarts.  The  whole  is  concluded  with  the 
solemn  repetition  of  tlie  formula  so  often  occur- 
ring in  this  LaAV  of  Holiness,  "I  am  Jehovah 
your  God,  who  brought  you  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt." 


Chap.  20.  Penalties  enjoined  for  cer- 
tain OFFENSES  specified  IN  CHAP.  18,  19. 
1-7.  Molech  icorshi}^  and  divination.  This 
crime  of  Molech  worship  is  definitely  prohibited 
in  18  :  21.    For  an  account  of  Molech,  see  the 


comment  on  that  verse.  The  penalty  for  that 
form  of  idolatry  is  here  annexed :  the  people 
shall  stone  the  oflTender  with  stones,  a  form  of 
capital  punishment  calculated  to  commit  all 
the  people  in  the  most  public  way  against  the 
crime,  as  they  all  participated  in  the  punish- 
ment as  executioners.  Sojourners  or  foreigners 
were  as  much  subject  to  the  law  in  this  matter 
as  the  people  of  the  land.  If  this  retributory 
arrangement  should  miscarry  on  account  of  the 
idolater's  personal  popularity  among  the  people 
(ver.  4,  5),  still  Jehovah's  displeasure  would  re- 
main, and  he  w^ould  set  his  face  against  that 
man  and  his  family  and  all  those  w"ho  were 
carried  away  by  the  impure  fascination  of  that 
base  superstition  to  cut  them  off  from  among 
their  peoijle.  And  the  soul  that  turn- 
eth,  etc.  (see  on  19  :  31 ).  Tliis  form  of  supersti- 
tion, like  the  Molech  worship,  is  called  going  a 
whoring,  as  if  its  fascination  were  something 
like  that  appeal  to  the  unreined  baser  nature 
made  by  the  immodest  and  impure.  The  term 
is  often  used  simply  for  spiritual  declension 
from  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  a  sin  which,  in 
correspondence  with  the  Hebrew  prophetic  idea 
of  Jehovah's  relation  with  his  people  as  being 
like  that  of  a  husband  to  his  wife,  would  possess 
the  nature  of  adultery.  It  is  interesting  to  ob- 
serve how  deeply  that  connubial  consciousness 
of  tlie  church,  and  even  of  the  personal  wor- 
shiper, as  the  spouse  of  God  pervades  the  Jewish 
and  the  early  Christian  religious  feeling,  so  that 
even  James  cries  out  against  the  avaricious  and 
self-indulgent,  "Ye  adulteresses,  know  ye  not 
that  the  love  of  the  world  is  enmity  against 


Ch.  XX.] 


LEVITICUS 


83 


5  Then  I  will  set  my  face  against  that  man,  and 
against  his  family,  aiid  will  cut  him  off,  and  all 
that  go  a  whoring  after  him,  to  commit  whoredom 
with  Molech,  from  among  their  people. 

6  And  the  soul  that  turneth  after  such  as  have 
familiar  spirits,  and  after  wizards,  to  go  a  whoring 
after  them,  I  will  even  set  my  face  against  that 
soul,  and  will  cut  him  oflf  from  among  his  people. 

7  Sanctify  yourselves  therefore,  and  be  ye  holy : 
for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

8  And  ye  shall  keep  my  statutes,  and  do  them  :  I 
am  the  Lord  which  sanctify  you. 

9  For  every  one  that  curseth  his  father  or  his 
mother  shall  surely  be  put  to  death :  he  hath 
cursed  his  father  or  his  mother ;  his  blood  shall  be 
upon  him. 

10  And  the  man  that  committeth  adultery  with 
another  man's  wife,  even  he  that  committeth  adul- 
tery with  his  neighbour's  wife,  the  adulterer  and 
the  adulteress  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

11  And  the  man  that  lieth  with  his  father's  wife 
hath  uncovered  his  father's  nakedness:  both  of 
them  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  ;  their  blood  shall 
be  upon  them. 

12  And  if  a  man  lie  with  his  daughter  in  law, 
both  of  them  shall  surely  be  put  to  death :  they 
have  wrought  confusion  ;  their  blood  ahall  be  upon 
them. 

13  If  a  man  also  lie  with  mankind,  as  he  lieth 
with  a  woman,  both  of  them  have  committed  an 
abomination :  they  shall  surely  be  put  to  death ; 
their  blood  shall  be  upon  them. 

14  And  if  a  man  take  a  wife  and  her  mother,  it  is 
wickedness:  they  shall  be  burnt  with  fire,  both  he 
and  they ;  that  there  be  no  wickedness  among 
you. 

15  And  if  a  man  lie  with  a  beast,  he  shall  surely 
be  put  to  death  :  and  ye  shall  slay  the  beast. 

16  And  if  a  woman  approach  unto  any  beast,  and 
lie  down  thereto,  thou  shalt  kill  the  woman,  and 
the  beast:  they  shall  surely  be  put  to  death;  their 
blood  shall  be  upon  them. 

17  And  if  a  man  shall  take  his  sister,  his  father's 
daughter,  or  his  mother's  daughter,  and  see  her 
nakedness,  and  she  see  his  nakedness ;  it  is  a 
wicked  thing  ;  and  they  shall  be  cut  off  in  the  sight 
of  their  people  :  he  hath  uncovered  his  sister's  na- 
kedness ;  he  shall  bear  his  iniquity. 

18  And  if  a  man  shall  lie  with  a  woman  having 
her  sickness,  and  shall  uncover  her  nakedness  ;  he 
hath  discovered  her  fountain,  and  she  hath  uncov- 
ered the  fountain  of  her  blood  :  and  both  of  them 
shall  be  cut  off  from  among  their  people. 


5  him  not  to  death  :  then  I  will  set  my  face  against 
that  man,  and  against  his  family,  and  will  cut 
him  off,  and  all  that  go  a  whoring  after  him,  to 
commit   whoredom  with  Molech,  from  among 

6  their  people.  And  the  soul  that  turneth  unto 
them  that  have  familiar  spirits,  and  unto  the 
wizards,  to  go  a  whoring  after  them,  I  will  even 
set  my  face  against  that  soul,  and  will  cut  him 

7  off  from  among  his  people.  Sanctify  yourselves 
therefore,  and  be  ye  holy :   for  I  am  the  Lord 

8  your  God.  And  ye  shall  keep  my  statutes,  and 
do  them :  I  am  the  Lord  which  sanctify  you. 

9  For  every  one  that  curseth  his  father  or  his 
mother  shall  surely  be  put  to  death :  he  hath 
cursed  his  father  or  his  mother ;  his  blood  shall 

10  be  upon  him.  And  the  man  that  committeth 
adultery  with  another  man's  wife,  even  he  that 
committeth  adultery  with  his  neighbour's  wife, 
the  adulterer  and  the  adulteress  shall  surely  be 

11  put  to  death.  And  the  man  that  lieth  with  his 
father's  wife  hath  uncovered  his  father's  naked- 
ness :  both  of  them  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  ; 

12  their  blood  shall  be  upon  them.  And  if  a  man 
lie  with  his  daughter  in  law,  both  of  them  shall 
surely  be  put  to  death :  they  have  wrought  con- 

13  fusion  ;  their  blood  shall  be  upon  them.  And  if 
a  man  lie  with  mankind,  as  with  womankind, 
both  of  them  have  committed  abomination : 
they  shall  surely  be  put  to  death ;  their  blood 

14  shall  be  upon  them.  And  if  a  man  take  a  wife 
and  her  mother,  it  is  wickedness:  they  shall  be 
burnt  with  fire,  both  he  and  they  ;  that  there  be 

15  no  wickedness  among  you.  And  if  a  man  lie 
with  a  beast,  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death : 

16  and  ye  shall  slay  the  beast.  And  if  a  woman 
approach  unto  any  beast,  and  lie  down  thereto, 
thou  shalt  kill  the  woman,  and  the  beast :  they 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death ;  their  blood  shall 

17  be  upon  them.  And  if  a  man  shall  take  his 
sister,  his  father's  daughter,  or  his  mother's 
daughter,  and  see  her  nakedness,  and  she  see  his 
nakedness;  it  is  a  shameful  thing;  and  they 
shall  be  cut  off  in  the  sight  of  the  children  of 
their  people  :  he  hath  uncovered  his  sister's  na- 

18  kedness ;  he  shall  bear  his  iniquity.  And  if  a 
man  shall  lie  with  a  woman  having  her  sick- 
ness, and  shall  uncover  her  nakedness  ;  he  hath 
made  naked  her  fountain,  and  she  hath  uncov- 
ered the  fountain  of  her  blood :  and  both  of 
them  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  their  people. 


God?  "  (James  4  :  *)  ;  and  with  the  belief  that  he 
is  reproducing  the  spirit  of  the  Old  Testament 
writings,  he  likens  the  intense  yearning  of  the 
indwelling  divine  Spirit,  in  the  face  of  such  un- 
faithfulness, to  a  connubial  jealousy  (ibid.,  ver.  5). 
The  form  of  expression,  I  will  set  my  face 
against  is  characteristic  of  this  Law  of  Holi- 
ness (see  ver.  3,  5,  6  ;   17  :  10  ;   26  :  17).      Ver.  7  is  a  SOrt 

of  general  spiritual  expression  for  the  specific 
duties  named  in  the  preceding  verses. 

8-31.  Unlaioful  marriages  and  unchastity. 
This  section  relates  to  the  marriages  and  con- 
nections prohibited  in  chap.  18,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  ver.  9.  It  begins  with  a  fresh  introduc- 
tion, ye  shall  keep  my  statutes,  like  that 
in  19  :  19.  The  crime  of  cursing  father  or  mother 
(ver.  9)  is  threatened  with  the  death  penalty  also 
in  the  book  of  the  Covenant  (Exod.  21 :  17)  and 
made  the  subject  of  a  solemn  curse  in  Deuter- 
onomy (27  :  16).    It  is  noteworthy  how  the  crime 


of  cursing  a  person  is  made  of  more  importance 
than  modern  feeling  is  apt  to  attribute  to  it,  as 
if  the  curse  or  imprecation  had  a  validity  to 
harm  its  victim  in  some  supernatural  way  be- 
yond the  mere  outrage  to  his  feelings.  Compare 
19  :  14,  where  the  legislation  defends  the  un- 
heeding deaf  from  such  an  infliction.  Our  Sav- 
iour also  cites  this  penal  legislation  (Matt.  15  :  4; 
Mark  7  :  10)  when  denouncing  the  hypocrisy  of 
the  Pharisees.  The  offenses  mentioned  in  ver. 
10-16,  all  of  which  are  prohibited  in  chap.  18, 
are  to  be  punished  by  the  death  of  both  offend- 
ers, including  the  beasts  that  are  abused.  In 
ver.  17,  18  the  punishment  is  a  cutting  off  from 
the  people,  by  which  Keil  understands  death, 
at  least  an  outlawry  which  would  take  away 
the  security  and  happiness  or  self-respect  of  the 
culprit.  For  the  crime  specified  in  ver.  14,  the 
punishment  is  heightened  by  the  burning  of 
the  bodies  of  the  offenders  after  they  are  put  to 


84 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXI. 


19  And  thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of 
thy  mother's  sister,  nor  of  thy  father's  sister:  for 
he  uncovereth  his  near  kin:  they  sliall  bear  their 

" "u^And  if  a  man  shall  lie  with  his  uncle's  wife, 
he  hath  uncovered  liis  uncle's  nakedness:  they 
shall  bear  their  sin  ;  they  shall  die  childless. 

21  And  if  a  man  shall  take  his  brother's  wife,  it 
is  an  unclean  thing:  he  hath  uncovered  his  broth- 
er's nakedness  ;  they  shall  be  childless. 

22  Ye  shall  therefore  keep  all  my  statutes,  and  all 
my  judgments,  and  do  them  :  that  tlie  land,  whither 
1  bring  you  to  dwell  therein,  spue  you  not  out. 

23  And  ye  shall  not  walk  in  the  manners  of  the 
nation,  which  I  cast  out  before  you:  for  they  com- 
mitted all  these  things,  and  therefore  I  abhorred 
them. 

21  But  I  have  said  unto  you.  Ye  shall  inherit 
their  land,  and  I  will  give  it  unto  you  to  possess  it, 
a  land  that  tloweth  with  milk  and  honey  :  I  ain  the 
Lord  your  God,  which  have  separated  you  from 
other  people. 

25  Ye  sliall  therefore  put  difference  between 
clean  beasts  and  unclean,  and  between  unclean 
fowls  and  clean  :  and  ye  shall  not  make  your  souls 
abominable  by  beast,  or  by  fowl,  or  by  any  manner 
of  living  thing  that  creepeth  on  the  ground,  which 
1  have  separated  from  you  as  unclean. 

26  And  ye  shall  be  holy  unto  me  :  for  I  the  Lord 
am  holy,  and  have  severed  you  from  other  people, 
that  ye  should  be  mine. 

27  A  man  also  or  woman  that  hath  a  familiar 
spirit,  or  that  is  a  wizard,  shall  surely  be  put  to 
death :  they  shall  stone  them  with  stones :  their 
blood  shuU  be  upon  them. 


19  And  thou  shalt  not  uncover  the  nakedness  of 
thy  mother's  sister,  nor  of  thy  father's  sister :  for 
he  hath  made  naked  his  near  kin :  they  shall 

20  bear  their  iniquity.  And  if  a  man  shall  lie  with 
his  uncle's  wife,  he  hath  uncovered  his  uncle's 
nakedness  :  they  shall  bear  their  sin  ;  they  shall 

21  die  childless.  And  if  a  man  shall  take  his 
brother's  wife,  it  is  impurity :  he  hath  uncov- 
ered his  brother's  nakedness ;  they  shall  be 
childless. 

22  Ye  shall  therefore  keep  all  my  statutes,  and 
all  my  judgements,  and  do  them  :  that  the  land, 
whither  1  bring  you  to  dwell  therein,  vomit  you 

23  not  out.  And  ye  shall  not  walk  in  the  customs 
of  the  nation,  which  I  cast  out  before  you :  for 
they  did  all  these  things,  and  therefore  I  ab- 

24  honed  them.  But  I  have  said  unto  you.  Ye 
shall  inherit  their  land,  and  I  will  give  it  unto 
you  to  possess  it,  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which  have 

25  separated  you  from  the  peoples.  Ye  shall  there- 
fore separate  between  the  clean  beast  and  the 
unclean,  and  between  the  unclean  fowl  and  the 
clean  :  and  ye  shall  not  make  your  souls  abom- 
inable by  beast,  or  by  fowl,  or  by  any  thing 
wherewiih  the  ground  teenieth,  which  I  have 

26  separated  from  you  as  unclean.  And  ye  shall  be 
holy  unto  me :  for  I  the  Lord  am  holy,  and  have 
separated  you  from  the  peoples,  that  ye  should 
be  mine. 

27  A  man  also  or  a  woman  that  hath  a  familiar 
spirit,  or  that  is  a  wizard,  shall  surely  be  put  to 
death  :  they  shall  stone  them  with  stones ;  their 
blood  shall  be  upon  them. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


1  AND  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Speak  unto  the 
priests  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  say  unto  them, 
There  shall  none  be  defiled  for  the  dead  among  his 
people : 

2  But  for  his  kin,  that  is  near  unto  him,  that  is, 
for  his  mother,  and  for  his  father,  and  for  his  son, 
and  for  his  daughter,  and  for  his  brother, 

3  And  for  his  sister  a  virgin,  that  is  nigh  unto 
him,  which  hath  had  no  husband  ;  for  her  may  he 
be  defiled. 

4  But  he  shall  not  defile  himself,  being  a  chief 
man  among  his  people,  to  profane  himself. 

5  They  shall  not  make  baldness  upon  their  head, 
neither  shall  they  shave  off  the  corner  of  their 
beard,  nor  make  any  cuttings  in  their  flesh. 


1  AND  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Speak  unto 
the  priests  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  say  unto  them. 
There  shall  none  defile  himself  for  the  dead 

2  among  his  people ;  except  for  his  kin,  that  is 
near  unto  him,  for  his  mother,  and  for  his 
father,  and  for  his  son,  and  for  his  daughter,  and 

3  for  his  brother;  and  for  his  sister  a  virgin,  that 
is  near  unto  him,  which  hath  had  no  husband, 

4  for  her  may  he  defile  himself.  He  shall  not  de- 
file himself,  being  a  chief  man  among  his  people, 

5  to  profane  himself.  They  shall  not  make  bald- 
ness upon  their  head,  neither  shall  they  shave 
off  the  corner  of  their  beard,  nor  make  any  cut- 


death  (cf.  21  :  9  ;  Josh.  7  :  25).      In  VCr.  19-21,  JellO- 

vah  seems  to  reserve  the  punishment  to  himself, 
saying,  they  shall  bear  their  iniquity,  an 

expression  which  is  explained  in  ver.  20,  21  as 
meaning  that  they  shall  die  childless, 

22-27.  Conclusion  and  supplement.  Gen- 
eral faithfulness  to  Jehovah's  statutes  is  again 
enjoined,  as  in  ver,  8.  The  reasons  for  these 
regulations  and  the  importance  of  the  people's 
separateness  are  again  emphasized,  as  in  chap.  18. 
In  connection  with  this  obligation  of  separate- 
ness, recurrence  is  had  in  ver.  25  to  the  distinc- 
tions between  clean  and  unclean  beasts  treated 
at  length  in  chap.  11.  This  verse  has  features 
in  common  especially  with  11  :  43-45,  Modern 
critics  very  generally  recognize  the  marked  affin- 
ity, or  identity  of  origin,  of  much  of  that  eleventh 
chapter  with  this  Law  of  Holiness. 

Ver.  27  is  supplementary  to  ver.  6. 


Chap.  21,  22.    Regulations   touching 

PRIESTS  AND  OFFERINGS. 

Chap.  21.  1-9.  Rules  to  he  observed  in 
certain  cases  of  domestic  life  by  the  ordinary 
priest.  These  rules  relate  especially  to  the 
priests  defiling  themselves  for  the  dead,  i.  e., 
coming  in  contact  with  their  bodies  so  as  to 
become  unclean,  and  to  the  purity  of  their  do- 
mestic relations.  The  pious  ofiices  of  the  dead 
by  which  one  became  unclean  were  denied  to 
the  priest  except  in  the  case  of  a  few  very  near 
relatives,  those  who  would  form  a  part  of  the 
same  family.  Even  the  wife  is  not  mentioned. 
The  conception  of  the  priest's  office  is  dominated 
by  the  idea  of  separateness  and  purity  rather 
than  of  sympathy.  That  picture  of  the  good 
man  acting  as  the  servant  and  lowly  helper  of 
all  in  distress,  carrying  their  troubles  in  his 
heart  and  alleviating  their  ills  with  the  touch 


Ch.  XXI.] 


LEVITICUS 


85 


6  They  shall  be  holy  unto  their  God,  and  not  pro- 
fane the  name  of  their  God  :  for  the  offerings  of  the 
Lord  made  by  fire,  and  the  bread  of  their  God,  they 
do  offer :  therefore  they  sliall  be  holy. 

7  They  shall  not  take  a  wife  that  is  a  whore,  or 
profane ;  neither  shall  they  take  a  woman  put 
away  from  her  husband :  for  he  is  holy  unto  his 
God. 

8  Thou  Shalt  sanctify  him  therefore  ;  for  he  offer- 
eth  the  bread  of  thy  God :  he  shall  be  holy  unto 
thee  :  for  I  the  Lord,  which  sanctify  you,  am  holy. 

9  And  the  daughter  of  any  priest,  if  she  profane 
herself  by  playing  the  whore,  she  profaneth  her 
father:  she  shall  be  burnt  with  fire. 

10  And  he  that  is  the  high  priest  among  his  breth- 
ren, upon  whose  head  the  anointing  oil  was  poured, 
and  that  is  consecrated  to  put  on  the  garments, 
shall  not  uncover  his  head,  nor  rend  his  clothes ; 


6  tings  in  their  flesh.  They  shall  be  holy  unto 
their  God,  and  not  profane  the  name  of  their 
God  :  for  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire, 
the  bread  of  their  God,  they  do  offer :  therefore 

7  they  shall  be  holy.  They  shall  not  take  a  wo- 
man that  is  a  harlot,  or  profane ;  neither  shall 
they  take  a  woman  put  away  from  her  husband  : 

8  for  he  is  holy  unto  his  God.  "  Thou  shalt  sanctify 
him  therefore ;  for  he  offereth  the  bread  of  thy 
God :  he  shall  be  holy  unto  thee :  for  I  the  Lord, 

9  which  sanctify  you,  am  holy.  And  the  daughter 
of  any  priest,  if  she  profane  herself  by  playing 
the  harlot,  she  profaneth  her  father:  she  shall 
be  burnt  with  tire. 

10  And  he  that  is  the  high  priest  among  his 
brethren,  upon  whose  head  the  anointing  oil  is 
poured,  and  that  is  consecrated  to  pxit  on  the 
garments,  shall  not  let  the  hair  of  his  head  go 


of  divine  comfort,  so  characteristic  of  the  best 
portrayals  of  the  Christian  pastor,  is  wanting  in 
the  Jewish  conception  of  the  model  priest.  The 
divine  as  the  servant  of  the  human  was  a  con- 
ception introduced  by  Jesus  Christ.  The  priest 
was  rather  the  cold,  dignified  witness  and  expo- 
nent of  the  holiness  of  Jehovah  and  his  oppo- 
siteness  to  death  and  corruption.  For  him  to 
indulge  in  the  ordinary  public  manifestations 
in  token  of  grief  for  the  dead  was  unprofessional 
conduct,  and  especially  was  he  to  avoid  those 
eccentricities  of  the  toilet  which  might  convey 
a  suggestion  of  pagan  feeling.  Any  such  pro- 
faning or  secularizing  of  their  high  ofiice  was 
forbidden  to  the  priests  because  it  was  their 
office  to  offer  the  sacrifices,  the  bread  of  their 
God.  This  expression,  "food"  or  "bread  of 
God,"  is  characteristic  of  these  two  chapters, 
21,  22,  though  a  similar  form  is  used  in  3  :  16. 
It  is  probably  a  very  ancient  designation, 
pointing  back  to  the  primitive  conception  of 
sacrifice  as  a  meal  with  the  deity  worshiped. 
To  avoid  uncleanness,  the  priest  would  need  to 
keep  away  from  the  tent  or  house  where  the 
corpse  lay,  as  its  presence,  according  to  Num. 
19  :  14,  communicated  defilement  to  all  who 
came  in.  The  common  priest,  however,  need 
not  leave  the  house  or  tent  on  the  approach  of 
the  death  of  one  near  of  kin,  but  might  remain 
and  take  part  in  the  funeral  and  then  regain 
his  sacerdotal  qualifications  by  subsequent  puri- 
fication and  sacrifice.  The  same  regulation  and 
permission  is  given  by  Ezekiel  {ii  ■  25),  and  that 
the  permission,  despite  the  absence  of  express 
mention  in  this  chapter,  included  also  the  wife 
seems  apparent  from  the  fact  that  when  Ezekiel 
on  a  special  occasion  was  forbidden  to  mourn 
for  his  wife,  it  was  noticeable  enough  to  serve 
as  a  sign  (Ezek.  24  :  16, 19).  No  making  baldness 
on  the  head,  no  shaving  of  the  corners  of  the 
beard,  no  cutting  of  the  flesh  was  permitted,  a 
regulation  which  was  also  given  to  the  people 

at  large  (cf.  19  :  27,  28  ;   Deut.  14  :  1). 


The  purity  of  the  priest's  family  connections 
(ver.  7)  is  so  vital  a  concern,  not  only  to  himself 
but  to  the  people,  that  these  are  directly  ad- 
dressed, as  if  singly  ("thou,"  ver.  8)^  and  enjoined 
to  hold  him  in  reverence  for  the  sake  of  his 
office.  Because  the  sanctifying  influence  of  re- 
ligion for  the  individual  depended  on  its  repre- 
sentatives being  respected  and  reverenced,  there- 
fore those  conditions  must  exist  which  rendered 
this  possible.  Not  only  must  the  priest  be  holy 
to  God,  not  only  must  there  be  an  official  recog- 
nition of  the  dignity  of  his  office,  but  he  must 
be  holy  unto  thee,  the  common  man  He  must. 
not  only  enforce  an  outward  respect,  he  must 
command  an  inward  respect  and  reverence  by 
all  that  appeals  to  the  social  sense  of  propriety. 
The  priesthood,  therefore,  was  no  irresponsible, 
divine- right  institution,  able  to  ignore  the  speech 
of  people ;  as  in  the  first  place  we  saw  an  obli- 
gation to  God  whose  food  the  priest  was  set  to 
offer,  so  now  we  see  an  obligation  to  the  good 
opinion  of  the  people.  The  daughter  of  a  priest 
(ver.  9)  who  should  waiitouly  prostitute  herself 
must  be  punished,  not  only  with  death  but  with 
the  marked  indignity  of  subsequent  burning. 
The  meaning  of  ver.  4,  being  a  chief  man, 
or  husband,  among  his  people,  is  not  cer- 
tainly known,  some  word  having  probably 
dropped  out  of  the  original  text  that  is  neces- 
sary to  its  clear  understanding. 

10-15.  By  the  chief  priest.  The  regulations 
for  the  high  priest  upon  whose  head  the  anoint- 
ing oil  had  been  poured,  and  who  had  filled  his 
hand  to  put  on  the  vestments,  were  stricter  than 
for  the  ordinary  priests.  He  is  here  called  the 
priest  who  is  chief  among  his  brethren,  an  ex- 
pression peculiar  to  this  passage.  He  was  not 
to  let  the  hair  of  his  head  go  loose  nor  rend  his 
clothes  (ver.  10) ;  he  was  not  to  go  in  to  any  dead 
body — not  even  that  of  his  nearest  relative — nor 
to  go  out  of  the  sanctuary,  ^.  e,,  perhaps,  incur 
a  ceremonial  taint  which  would  debar  him  from 
constant  fitness  for  duty.    As  to  his  domestic 


S6 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXII. 


11  Neither  shall  he  go  in  to  any  dead  body,  nor 
defile  himself  lor  his  father,  or  for  his  mother ; 

12  Neither  shall  he  go  out  of  the  sanctuary,  nor 
profane  the  sanctuary  of  his  God  ;  for  the  crown  of 
the  anointing  oil  of  his  God  is  upon  him  :  I  am  the 
Lord.  ,         ... 

13  And  he  shall  take  a  wife  in  her  virginity. 

14  A  widow,  or  a  divorced  woman,  or  proiane,  or 
an  harlot,  these  shall  he  not  take:  but  he  shall 
take  a  virgin  of  his  own  people  to  wife. 

15  Neither  shall  he  profane  his  seed  among  his 
people  :  for  I  the  Lord  do  sanctify  him. 

16  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

17  Speak  unto  Aaron,  saying,  Whosoever  he  be  of 
thy  seed  in  their  generations  that  hath  cmy  blem- 
ish, let  him  not  approach  to  offer  the  bread  of  his 
God. 

18  For  whatsoever  man  he  be  that  hath  a  blemish, 
he  shall  not  approach  :  a  blind  man,  or  a  lame,  or 
he  tliat  hath  a  hat  nose,  or  any  thing  superfluous, 

19  Or  a  man  that  is  brokenfooted,  or  broken- 
handed, 

20  Or  crookbackt,  or  a  dwarf,  or  that  hath  a 
blemish  in  his  eye,  or  be  scurvy,  or  scabbed,  or 
halh  his  stones  broken  ; 

21  No  man  that  hath  a  blemish  of  the  seed  of 
Aaron  the  priest  shall  come  nigh  to  offer  the  offer- 
ings of  the  Lord  made  by  fire  :  he  hath  a  blemish  ; 
he  shall  not  come  nigh  to  offer  the  bread  of  his 
God. 

22  He  shall  eat  the  bread  of  his  God,  both  of  the 
most  holy,  and  of  the  holy. 

23  Only  he  shall  not  go  in  unto  the  vail,  nor  come 
nigh  unto  the  altar,  because  he  hath  a  blemish  ; 
that  he  profane  not  my  sanctuaries :  for  I  the  Lord 
do  sanctify  them. 

24  And  Moses  told  it  unto  Aaron,  and  to  his  sons, 
and  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel. 


11  loose,  nor  rend  his  clothes ;  neither  shall  he  go 
in  to  any  dead  body,  nor  defile  himself  for  his 

12  father,  or  for  liis  mother;  neither  shall  he  go 
out  of  the  sanctuary,  nor  jjrofune  the  sanctuary 
of  his  God  ;  for  the  crown  of  the  anointing  oil  of 

13  his  God  is  upon  him:  I  am  the  Lord.    And  he 

14  shall  take  a  wife  in  her  virginity,  A  widow,  or 
one  divorced,  or  a  profane  woman,  an  harlot, 
these  shall  he  not  take  :  but  a  virgin  of  his  own 

15  people  shall  he  take  to  wife.  And  he  shall  not 
profane  his  seed  among  his  people:  for  I  am  the 
Lord  which  sanctify  him. 

16  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

17  Speak  unto  Aaron,  saying,  Whosoever  he  be  of 
thy  seed  throughout  their  generations  that  hath 
a  blemish,  let  him  not  approach  to  offer  the 

18  bread  of  his  God.  For  whatsoever  man  he  Ije 
that  hath  a  blemish,  he  shall  not  approach :  a 
blind  man,  or  a  lame,  or  he  that  hath  a  flat  nose, 

19  or  any  thing  superfluous,  or  a  man  that  is  bro- 

20  kenfooted,  or  brokenhanded,  or  crookbackt,  or  a 
dwarf,  or  that  hath  a  blemish  in  his  eye,  or  is 
scurvy,  or  scabbed,  or  hath  his  stones  broken ; 

21  no  man  of  the  seed  of  Aaron  the  priest,  that 
hath  a  blemish,  shall  come  nigh  to  offer  the 
offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  hre :  he  hath  a 
blemish ;  he  shall  not  come  nigh   to  offer  the 

22  bread  of  his  God.  He  shall  eat  the  bread  of  his 
God,  both  of  the  most  holy,  and  of  the  holy. 

23  Only  he  shall  not  go  in  unto  the  veil,  nor  come 
nigh  unto  the  altar,  because  he  hath  a  blemish  ; 
that  he  profane  not  my  sanctuaries :   for  1  am 

24  the  Lord  which  sanctify  them.  So  Moses  spake 
unto  Aaron,  and  to  his  sons,  and  uuto  all  the 
children  of  Israel. 


CHAPTER    XXII 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons*  that  they 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons,  that  they 


relations,  he  was  permitted  to  take  for  a  wife 
only  a  virgin  of  his  own  people.  This  is  under- 
stood by  the  LXX  and  Philo  to  mean  only  a 
member  of  the  priestly  family,  but  others  ex- 
tend the  meaning  so  as  to  include  any  one  of 
pure  Israelitish  descent.  Thus  he  was  not  to 
taint  his  posterity  by  a  marriage  not  in  keeping 
with  his  holy  office. 

16-24,  Conditions  of  bodily  perfection  to  be 
satisfied  by  those  discharging  priestly  duties. 
These  blemishes  are  correctly  named  in  the 
Revised  version,  with  the  exception,  perhaps, 
of  the  "flat  nose"  of  ver.  18,  which  probably 
means  a  mutilation  of  the  nose  or  face.  As  in 
the  first  place  there  was  indicated  an  amenability 
of  the  priest  to  the  dignity  of  Jehovah,  and  in 
the  second  to  the  opinion  of  the  judicious  among 
the  people,  so  here  there  is  indicated  a  care  even 
for  the  thoughtless  and  superficial — those  who 
form  their  impressions  from  the  first  glance,  and 
might  be  hopelessly  repelled  by  an  initial  aver- 
sion. While  it  is  well  for  all  to  be  schooled  to 
the  truth  that  character  is  a  thing  of  the  heart 
(cf.  1  Sam.  16  : 7),  and  that  God's  minister  is  not 
spiritually  incapacitated  by  external  awkward- 
ness or  inelegance  or  even  deformity,  yet  it  is 


also  well  that  public  religious  service  should  be 
embodied  in  an  outward  form  which  does  not 
dissipate  the  unified  religious  impression  or  call 
the  attention  away  from  the  main  purpose  to 
what  is  unpleasant  or  in  any  way  particularly 
obtrusive. 

The  priest  with  any  of  the  infirmities  named 
could  not  officiate  publicly  or  approach  the 
sanctuary  in  a  sacerdotal  capacity.  He  was 
permitted,  however,  to  be  supported  by  the 
offijrings  which  were  devoted  to  the  sustenance 
of  the  priests,  namely,  the  w^ave  offerings,  the 
first-fruits,  the  firstlings,  tithes,  and  things  laid 
under  a  ban  (Num.  is  :  11-19, 26-29)^  those  which  are 
designated  as  most  holy,  as  well  as  the  holy  gifts. 
But  for  those  unfortunate  men  to  appear  in  their 
disfigurement  and  imperfection  as  hierophauts 
was  to  profane  the  sanctuary. 

The  word  sanctuaries  (ver.  23)  does  not  in- 
dicate a  plurality  of  places  of  public  worship, 
for  the  single  sanctuary  is  presupposed  in  this 
Law  of  Holiness,  but  probably  the  various  holy 
places  of  the  sanctuary  itself. 


Chap.  22.    Two   conditions   for   par- 
taking   OF    THE    SACRIFICIAL   FOOD.       1-9. 


Ch.  XXII.] 


LEVITICUS 


87 


separate  themselves  from  the  holy  things  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  that  they  profane  not  my 
holy  name  in  those  things  which  they  hallow  unto 
me  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

3  Say  unto  them,  Whosoever  he  he  of  all  your  seed 
among  your  generations,  that  goeth  unto  the  holy 
things,  "which  the  children  of  Israel  hallow  unto 
the  Lord,  having  his  uncleanness  upon  him,  that 
soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  my  presence :  I  am  the 
Lord. 

4  What  man  soever  of  the  seed  of  Aaron  is  a  leper, 
or  hath  a  running  issue  ;  he  shall  not  eat  of  the  holy 
things,  until  he  be  clean.  And  whoso  toucheth  any 
thing  that  is  unclean  hy  the  dead,  or  a  man  whose 
seed  goeth  from  him  ; 

5  Or  whosoever  toucheth  any  creeping  thing, 
whereby  he  may  be  made  unclean,  or  a  man  of 
whom  he  may  take  uncleanness,  whatsoever  un- 
cleanness he  hath  ; 

6  The  soul  which  hath  touched  any  such  shall  be 
unclean  until  even,  and  shall  not  eat  of  the  holy 
things,  unless  he  wash  his  flesh  with  water. 

7  And  when  the  sun  is  down,  he  shall  be  clean, 
and  shall  afterward  eat  of  the  holy  things  ;  because 
Jt  is  his  food. 

8  That  which  dieth  of  itself,  or  is  torn  withbeasts, 
he  shall  not  eat  to  defile  himself  therewith :  I  am 
the  Lord. 


separate  themselves  from  the  holy  things  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  which  they  hallow  unto  me, 
and  that  they  profane  not  my  holy  name  :  I  am 

3  the  Lord.  Say  unto  them.  Whosoever  he  be  of 
all  your  seed  throughout  your  generations,  that 
approacheth  unto  the  holy  things,  which  the 
children  of  Israel  hallow  unto  the  Lord,  having 
his  uncleanness  upon  him,  that  soul  shall  be  cut 

4  olf  from  before  me  :  I  am  the  Lord.  What  man 
soever  of  the  seed  of  Aaron  is  a  leper,  or  hath 
an  issue ;  he  shall  not  eat  of  the  holy  things, 
until  he  be  clean.  And  whoso  toucheth  any 
thing  that  is  unclean  by  the  dead,  or  a  mau 

5  whose  seed  goeth  from  him  ;  or  whosoever  touch- 
eth any  creeping  thing,  whereby  he  may  be 
made  unclean,  or  a  man  of  whom  he  may  take 
uncleanness,  whatsoever  uncleanness  he  hath ; 

6  the  soul  which  toucheth  any  such  shall  be  un- 
clean until  the  even,  and  shall  not  eat  of  the 
holy  things,  unless  he  bathe  his  flesh  in  water. 

7  And  when  the  sun  is  down,  he  shall  be  clean  ; 
and  afterward  he  shall  eat  of  the  holy  things, 

8  because  it  is  his  bread.  That  which  dieth  of 
itself,  or  is  torn  of  beasts,  he  shall  not  eat  to 


1.  Ceremonial  purity.  The  general  injunction 
is  that  the  priests  shall  separate  themselves 
from  the  holy  things  (ver.  2)^  ■j,  e.,  shall  feel 
and  respect  the  difiference  between  these  hal- 
lowed things  and  common  things.  It  is  a  caution 
against  the  danger  to  which  priests  are  subject, 
that  familiarity  with  holy  things  shall  breed  ir- 
reverence and  carelessness.  The  holy  things  here 
dealt  wuth  are  somewhat  different  from  the  dread 
sanctities  which  Nadab  and  Abihu  suffered  such 
a  summary  punishment  for  violating.  They 
are  rather  the  foods  which  the  people  have 
sanctified  to  God's  service,  and  which  have  in  a 
sense  passed  into  domestic  use  by  becoming  a 
part  of  the  priests'  sustenance.  The  careless- 
ness into  which  the  priest  would  be  in  danger  of 
falling  does  not  so  much  resemble  the  modern 
lineman's  carelessness  bred  by  familiarity  with 
the  deadly  electric  current  as  did  that  of  Nadab 
and  Abihu  or  Uzzah.  It  is  rather  the  careless- 
ness which  consists  in  ignoring  the  pious  and 
tender  feelings  of  the  people  who  have  sanctified 
the  gifts,  and  subjecting  them  to  the  shock  and 
grief  of  seeing  the  offerings  wliich  have  carried 
the  tenderest  feelings  of  their  hearts  put  to  un- 
worthy uses.  There  seems  to  be  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  worshiping  people  conveyed  in  the 
expression,  those  things  which  they  hal- 
low unto  me  (ver.  2),  it  is  notew^orthy  how 
strongly  the  amenability  of  the  priest  to  the  re- 
ligious or  sesthetic  feelings  of  the  people  comes  out 
in  these  chapters.  He  must  be  holy  unto  thee,  the 
common  layman,  according  to  the  regulations 
of  the  last  chapter  (21  :  8),  and  here  he  must  not 
outrage  the  layman's  feelings  by  putting  his 
hallowed  gift  to  unhallowed  or  even  lay  use 


(ver.  10,  seq.).  A  similar  consideration  for  the 
pious  imagination  of  the  common  layman  re- 
garding the  minister's  family  ought  perhaps  to 
characterize  the  temporal  management  of  mod- 
ern pastors.  The  things  which  grateful  wor- 
shipers have  sanctified  to  God  by  giving  to  a 
loved  pastor  never  to  their  minds  become  wholly 
secularized ;  and  the  restive  young  minister  who 
is  fain  to  assert  his  manliness  by  being  wholly 
independent  of  his  flock  in  his  domestic  man- 
agement, and  flaunting  an  unworthy  use  of  their 
gifts  before  their  eyes  as  a  disciplinary  lesson, 
may  do  the  cause  of  religion  an  incalculable 
injury.  The  modern  progressive  Protestant 
notion  of  the  pastor's  being  wholly  secularized 
and  indistinguishable  from  other  people  in  his 
common  life  has  much  to  recommend  it,,  but  it 
must  wisely  reckon  with  the  tender  religious 
feelings  of  the  people  as  well  as  with  the  sanc- 
tities of  the  church. 

The  command  is  first  with  regard  to  the  hal- 
lowed things  in  general,  which  the  priest  is  not 
even  to  approach  (ver.  3)  with  his  uncleanness 
upon  him ;  but  the  more  specific  application  is 
to  the  holy  offerings  which  were  designated  for 
the  sustenance  of  the  priests  (see  on  21  :  I6-24), 
Altliough  these  after  they  had  been  waved  or 
solemnly  lifted  became  articles  of  everyday  food, 
yet  they  never  were  to  be  regarded  as  exactly  on 
a  level  with  food  that  had  not  been  so  offered. 
The  forms  of  uncleanness  which  debarred  from 
partaking  of  the  holy  food  are  here  recapitulated 
from  other  parts  of  the  law.  The  penalty  for 
the  priest  who  approached  the  holy  things  with 
his  uncleanness  upon  him  was  exclusion  from 
the    sanctuary  (ver.  3) ;    and  for  disregard  of 


88 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXII. 


9  They  shall  therefore  keep  mine  ordinance,  lest 
they  bear  sin  for  it,  and  die  therefore,  if  they  pro- 
fane it :  I  the  Lord  do  sanctify  them.      ^  ,    ^^ . 

10  There  shall  no  stranger  eat  o/  the  holy  thmg : 
a  sojourner  of  the  priest,  or  an  hired  servant,  shall 
not  eat  of  the  holy  thing. 

11  But  if  the  priest  buy  any  soul  with  his  money, 
he  shall  eat  of  it,  and  he  that  is  born  in  his  house  : 
they  shall  eat  of  his  meat. 

12  If  the  priest's  daughter  also  be  married  unto  a 
stranger,  she  may  not  eat  of  an  offering  of  the  holy 
things. 

13  But  if  the  priest's  daughter  be  a  widow,  or 
divorced,  and  have  no  child,  and  is  returned  unto 
her  father's  house,  as  in  her  youth,  she  shall  eat  of 
her  father's  meat :  but  there  shall  no  stranger  eat 

thereof.  .      ,    ,     ^,  . 

14  And  if  a  man  eat  of  the  holy  thing  unwit- 
tingly, then  he  shall  put  the  fifth  part  thereof  unto 
it,  and  shall  give  it  unto  the  priest  with  the  holy 
thing. 

15  And  they  shall  not  profane  the  holy  things  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  which  they  offer  unto  the 
Lord  ; 

16  Or  suffer  them  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  trespass, 
when  they  eat  their  holy  things  :  for  I  the  Lord  do 
sanctify  them. 

17  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

18  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  to  his  sons,  and  unto 
all  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them.  What- 
soever he  be  of  the  house  of  Israel,  or  of  the  stran- 
gers in  Israel,  that  will  offer  his  oblation  for  all  his 
vows,  and  for  all  his  freewill  offerings,  which  they 
will  oft"er  unto  the  Lord  for  a  burnt  offering  ; 

19  Ye  shall  offer  at  your  own  will  a  male  without 
blemish,  of  the  beeves,  of  the  sheep,  or  of  the  goats. 

20  But  whatsoever  hath  a  blemish,  that  shall  ye 
not  offer :  for  it  shall  not  be  acceptable  for  you. 

21  And  whosoever  offereth  a  sacrifice  of  peace 
offerings  unto  the  Lord  to  accomplish  his  vow,  or  a 
freewill  offering  in  beeves  or  sheep,  it  shall  be  per- 
fect to  be  accepted ;  there  shall  be  no  blemish 
therein. 


9  defile  himself  therewith :  I  am  the  Lord.  They 
shall  therefore  keep  my  charge,  lest  they  bear 
sin  for  it,  and  die  therein,  if  they  profane  it:  I 

10  am  the  Lord  which  sanctify  them.  There  shall 
no  stranger  eat  of  the  holy  thing :  a  sojourner 
of  the  priest's,  or  an  hired  servant,  shall  not  eat 

11  of  the  holy  thing.  But  if  a  prie.st  buy  any  soul, 
the  purchase  of  his  money,  he  shall  eat  of  it ; 
and  such  as  are  born  in  his  house,  they  shall  eat 

12  of  his  bread.  And  if  a  priest's  daughter  be  mar- 
ried unto  a  stranger,  she  shall  not  eat  of  the 

13  heave  offering  of  the  holy  things.  But  if  a 
priest's  daughter  be  a  widow,  or  divorced,  and 
have  no  child,  and  is  returned  unto  her  father's 
house,  as  in  her  youth,  she  shall  eat  of  her 
father's  bread :  but  there  shall  no  stranger  eat 

14  thereof.  And  if  a  man  eat  of  the  holy  thing 
unwittingly,  then  he  shall  put  the  fifth  part 
thereof  unto  it,  and  shall  give  unto  the  priest  the 

15  holy  thing.  And  they  shall  not  profane  the 
holy  things  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  they 

16  offer  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  so  cause  them  to  bear 
the  iniquity  that  bringeth  guilt,  when  they  eat 
their  holy  things :  for  I  am  the  Lord  which 
sanctify  them. 

17  And   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,   saying, 

18  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  to  his  sons,  and  unto  all 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them.  Who- 
soever he  be  of  the  house  of  Israel,  or  of  the 
strangers  in  Israel,  that  offereth  his  oblation, 
whether  it  be  any  of  their  vows,  or  any  of  their 
freewill  offerings,  which  they  offer  unto  the  Lord 

19  for  a  burnt  offering  ;  that  ye  may  be  accepted, 
ye  shall  offer  a  male  without  blemish,  of  the 

20  beeves,  of  the  sheep,  or  of  the  goats.  But  what- 
soever hath  a  blemish,  that  shall  ye  not  offer : 

21  for  it  shall  not  be  acceptable  for  you.  And  who- 
soever offereth  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings  unto 
the  Lord  to  accomplish  a  vow,  or  for  a  freewill 
offering,  of  the  herd  or  of  the  flock,  it  shall  be 
perfect  to  be  accepted ;  there  shall  be  no  blemish 


Jehovah's  ordinances  there  was  even  peril  of 

death  (ver.  9  ;  cf.  Exod.  28  :  35  ;  Lev.  8  :  35  ;  Num.  18  :  32). 

*'  When  the  Israelite  offended  in  a  similar  man- 
ner by  eating  of  the  peace  offering  with  his  un- 
cleanness  upon  him,  he  was  to  be  cut  off  from 
amongst  his  people  "  (? :  20). 

10-16.  2.  Membership  in  a  priest^ s  family. 
The  stranger  here  is  not  a  foreigner,  but  any 
one  not  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  a  layman.  If 
a  layman  ate  unwittingly  he  was  to  restore  it 
with  the  addition  of  a  fifth  (ver.  14),  according 
to  the  law  of  the  guilt  offering  (5  :  14-16).  The 
sense  of  ver.  15,  16,  which  are  somewhat  ob- 
scure in  the  original,  appears  to  be  that  the 
priests  are  not  to  profane  the  holy  things,  in 
which  the  tenderest  feelings  of  the  offerer  find 
expression,  by  allowing  a  disorderly  sharing  of 
these  by  laymen,  thus  causing  them,  i.  e.,  these 
unqualified  partakers,  to  bear  the  iniquity  that 
bringeth  guilt  when  they  eat  their  holy  things. 
The  force  of  the  negative  at  the  beginning  of 
the  fifteenth  verse  passes  over  so  as  also  to 
include  the  verb  in  the  sixteenth  verse. 

17-25.  Animals  offered  in  sacrifices  to  he 
free  from  imperfections.  Ye  shall  ofler  at 
your  own  will,  etc.,  rather,  that  ye  may  he 


accepted,  etc.,  as  in  R.  V.  The  admonition 
against  offering  animals  with  a  blemish  (ver.  20) 
is  repeated  in  other  places  in  the  law  (see  Deut. 
15  :  21 ;  It  :  1),  and  Malachi  inveighs  against  the 
sin  as  a  grievous  and  notorious  practice  in  his 
day  (see  Mai.  1 :  8, 13,  14).  The  principle  at  the 
basis  of  this  forbidding  of  imperfect  offerings  to 
Jehovah  is  that  God  is  worthy  of  nothing  short 
of  our  best,  but  this  principle  is  something 
deeper  than  a  humanly  formulated  theistic  doc- 
trine. It  is  a  trait  of  human  nature.  Religious 
feeling  is  among  the  most  tender  and  most  easily 
outraged  instincts  of  human  nature,  because  it 
is  one  of  the  highest  The  same  is  true  of 
sesthetic  feeling.  Religion  and  fine  art  both 
seek  to  propitiate  our  sense  for  the  perfect. 
While  mere  mechanical  art  may  be  satisfied 
with  a  utility  which  serves  a  limited  purpose, 
the  art  which  aims  at  beauty  or  truth  for  its 
own  sake  can  tolerate  nothing  short  of  the  best 
in  the  artist's  power.  While  the  tribute  or  price 
which  discharges  a  limited  human  obligation 
may  count  itself  sufiicient  when  a  measurable 
equity  has  been  satisfied,  the  gift  which  relig- 
ious feeling  renders  to  the  Infinite  must  issue 
from  the  top  of  the  offerer's  powers.    It  is  not  a 


Cii.  XXIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


89 


22  Blind,  or  broken,  or  maimed,  or  having  a  wen, 
or  scurvy,  or  scabbed,  ye  shall  not  offer  these  unto 
the  Lord,  nor  make  an  offering  by  fire  of  them  upon 
the  altar  unto  tlie  Lord. 

23  Either  a  bullock  or  a  Iamb  that  hath  any  thing 
superfluous  or  lacking  in  his  parts,  that  mayest  thou 
offer /or  a  freewill  offering  ;  but  for  a  vow  it  shall 
not  be  accepted. 

24  Ye  shall  not  offer  unto  the  Lord  that  which  is 
bruised,  or  crushed,  or  broken,  or  cut;  neither 
shall  ye  make  any  offering  thereof  in  your  land. 

25  Neither  from  a  stranger's  hand  shall  ye  offer 
the  bread  of  your  God  of  any  of  these ;  because 
their  corruption  is  in  them,  and  blemishes  be  in 
them  :  they  shall  not  be  accepted  for  you. 

26  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

27  When  a  bullock,  or  a  sheep,  or  a  goat,  is  brought 
forth,  then  it  shall  be  seven  days  under  the  dam  ; 
and  from  the  eighth  day  and  thenceforth  it  shall 
be  accepted  for  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord. 

28  And  whether  it  he  cow  or  ewe,  ye  shall  not  kill 
it  and  her  young  both  in  one  day. 

29  And  when  ye  will  offer  a  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving unto  the  Lord,  offer  it  at  your  own  will. 

30  On  the  same  day  it  shall  be  eaten  up  ;  ye  shall 
leave  none  of  it  until  the  morrow  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

31  Therefore  shall  ye  keep  my  commandments, 
and  do  them  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

32  Neither  shall  ye  profane  my  holy  name ;  but  I 
will  be  hallowed  among  the  children  of  Israel :  I 
am  the  Lord  which  hallow  you, 

33  That  brought  you  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to 
be  your  God :  I  am  the  Lord. 


22  therein.  Blind,  or  broken,  or  maimed,  or  hav- 
ing a  wen,  or  scurvy,  or  scabbed,  ye  shall  not 
offer  these  unto  the  Lord,  nor  make  an  offering 
by  fire  of  them  upon  the  altar  unto  the  Lord. 

23  Either  a  bullock  or  a  lamb  that  hath  any  thing 
superfluous  or  lacking  in  his  parts,  that  mayest 
thou  offer  for  a  freewill  offering  ;  but  for  a  vow 

24  it  shall  not  be  accepted.  That  which  hath  its 
stones  bruised,  or  crushed,  or  broken,  or  cut,  ye 
shall  not  offer  unto  the  Lord  ;  neither  shall  ye 

25  do  thus  in  your  land.  Neither  from  the  hand  of 
a  foreigner  shall  ye  offer  the  bread  of  your  God 
of  any  of  these ;  because  their  corruption  is  in 
them,  there  is  a  blemish  in  them  :  they  shall  not 
be  accepted  for  you. 

26  And   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,    saying, 

27  When  a  bullock,  or  a  sheep,  or  a  goat,  is  brought 
forth,  then  it  shall  be  seven  days  under  the  dam  ; 
and  from  the  eighth  day  and  thenceforth  it  shall 
be  accepted  for  the  oblation  of  an  offering  made 

28  by  fire  unto  the  Lord.  And  whether  it  be  cow 
or  ewe,  ye  shall  not  kill  it  and  her  young  both 

29  in  one  day.  And  when  ye  sacrifice  a  sacrifice  of 
thanksgiving  unto  the  Lord,  ye  shall  sacrifice  it 

30  that  ye  may  be  accepted.  On  the  same  day  it 
shall  be  eaten ;  ye  shall  leave  none  of  it  until 

31  the  morning  :  I  am  the  Lord.  Therefore  shall  ye 
keep  my  commandments,  and  do  them :  I  am 

32  the  Lord.  And  ye  shall  not  profane  my  holy 
name  ;  but  I  will  be  hallowed  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  I  am  the  Lord  which  hallow  you, 

33  that  brought  you  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  be 
your  God  :  I  am  the  Lord. 


utility,  it  is  a  yearning  expression,  and  what- 
ever is  palpably  and  purposely  imperfect  out- 
rages religious  feeling.  The  offer  of  what  is 
imperfect  is  the  expression  of  the  spirit  of  mer- 
cantilism or  barter — a  disposition  which  reduces 
religion  from  the  spiritual  to  the  conventional 
and  art  from  the  ideal  to  the  utilitarian. 

For  a  freewill  offering  (ver.  -js)  an  animal  with 
a  limb  too  large  or  too  small  might  be  accepted, 
but  an  obligation  assumed  by  a  solemn  vow  could 
not  be  so  easily  discharged,  as  any  performance 
short  of  perfect  would  involve  the  element  of 
bad  faith.  The  reference  of  all  the  items  in 
ver.  24  is  to  different  modes  of  castration,  all  of 
which  were  practised  among  the  ancients.  The 
last  clause  in  the  verse  (see  R.  V. )  is  understood 
by  Josephus  and  the  rabbins  to  forbid  the  prac- 
tice of  castration  entirely  (see  Josephus,  "  Ant.," 
IV.,  8  :  40) ;  and  the  prohibition  of  such  a  per- 
version of  God's  creation  comports  well  with 
such  legislation  as  that  found  in  19  :  19.  Driver, 
however,  translates,  "  Nor  shall  you  sacrifice 
such  animals  in  your  land,"  and  maintains  that 
Josephus'  understanding  involves  a  very  harsh 
construction  of  the  Hebrew. 

In  ver.  25  the  stranger,  literally,  son  of  the 
unJcnoivn,  is  not  simply  the  resident  foreigner, 
but,  as  the  rabbins  hold,  any  one  dwelling  in 
another  land  and  desiring  to  honor  Israel's  God. 

26-33.  Three  special  injunctions  respecting 
sacrifices,  tvith  concluding  exhortation.  These 
three  injunctions  are :  (1)  that  the  young  of  the 


herd  or  the  flock  are  not  eligible  for  sacrifice 
until  they  are  a  week  old  (cf.  Exod.  22 :  so) ;  (2) 
that  the  mother-animal  and  its  young  shall  not 
be  killed  the  same  day — a  making  sacred  of  the 
relation  between  parent  and  offspring  quite  in 

the  spirit  of  Exod.  23  :  19  (cf.  Exod.  34  :  26  ;  Deut.  u : 

21)  and  Deut.  22  :  6,  7;  (3)  that  the  sacrifice  of 
thanksgiving  shall  be  eaten  the  same  day  that 
it  is  killed,  which  is  a  repetition  for  the  praise 
offering  of  the  command  already  given  in  regard 
to  the  peace  offering  (see  7  :  15 ;  19  :  5,  6). 

The  solemn  exhortation  which  forms  the  con- 
clusion to  the  whole  chapter  may  be  compared 
with  the  conclusion  of  chap.  18  (ver,  29,  30)  and 
19  (ver.  37).  The  injunction  against  profaning 
the  name  of  Jehovah  is  paralleled  in  ver.  9; 
10  :  3 ;  11  :  44,  45 ;  18  :  21 ;  19  :  12. 


Chap.  23.  A  calendar  of  sacred  sea- 
sons. This  chapter  does  not  give  a  complete 
calendar  of  feasts,  but  only  a  list  of  those  stated 
days  and  periods  of  the  year  on  which  "holy 
convocations,"  or  solemn  meetings  were  ap- 
pointed to  be  held.  Of  the  recurring  regula- 
tions concerning  the  festivals  which  are  found 
in  the  various  codes  of  the  Pentateuch,  this 
chapter  and  Num.  28,  29  deal  most  minutely 
with  the  details  of  their  observance ;  the  stress 
in  this  chapter  being  chiefly  on  the  part  to  be 
taken  in  them  by  the  people,  while  Num.  28,  29 
regulates  the  public  sacrifices  by  which  they 
are  to  be  marked. 


90 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  Cuncerning  the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  which  ye 
shall  proclaim  to  be  holy  convocations,  even  these 
are  my  feaJits. 

3  Six  days  shall  work  be  done :  but  the  seventh 
day  is  the  sabbath  of  rest,  an  holy  convocation  ;  ye 
shall  do  no  work  therein:  it  is  the  sabbath  of  the 
Lord  in  all  your  dwellings. 

4  These  are  the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  even  holy  con- 
vocations, which  ye  shall  proclaim  in  their  seasons. 

5  In  tl)e  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month  at  even 
is  the  Lord's  passover. 

G  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  same  month  is 
the  feast  of  unleavened  bread  unto  the  Lord  :  seven 
days  ye  must  eat  unleavened  bread. 

7  In  the  first  day  ye  shall  have  an  holy  convoca- 
tion :  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein. 

8  But  ye  shall  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto 
the  Lord  seven  days  :  in  the  seventh  day  is  an  holy 
convocation  :  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein. 

9  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

10  Speak  unto  tlie  children  of  Israel,  and  say 
unto  them,  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land  which 
I  give  unto  you,  and  shall  reap  the  harvest  thereof, 
then  ye  shall  bring  a  sheaf  of  the  firstfruits  of  your 
harvest  unto  the  priest : 

11  And  he  shall  wave  the  sheaf  before  the  Lord, 
to  be  accepted  for  you :  on  the  morrow  after  the 
sabbath  the  priest  shall  wave  it. 

12  And  ye  shall  offer  that  day  when  ye  wave  the 
sheaf  an  he  lamb  without  blemish  of  the  first  year 
for  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord. 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  the  set  feasts  of  the  Lord,  which  ye  shall 
proclaim  to  be  holy  convocations,  even  these  are 

3  my  set  feasts.  Six  days  shall  work  be  done :  but 
on  the  seventh  day  is  a  sabbath  of  solemn  rest, 
an  holy  convocation  ;  ye  shall  do  no  manner  of 
work  :  it  is  a  sabbath  unto  the  Lord  in  all  your 
dwellings. 

4  These  are  the  set  feasts  of  the  Lord,  even  holy 
convocations,  which  ye  shall  proclaim  in  their 

5  appointed  season.  In  the  first  month,  on  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  month  at  even,  is  the 

6  Lord's  passover.  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
the  same  month  is  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread 
unto  the  Lord:  seven  days  ye  shall  eat  unleav- 

7  ened  bread.  In  the  first  day  ye  shall  have  an 
holy  convocation  :  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work. 

8  But  ye  shall  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto 
the  Lord  seven  days :  in  the  seventh  day  is  an 
holy  convocation  ;  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work. 

9  And    the   Lord    spake   unto    Moses,    saying, 

10  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land  which  I 
give  unto  you,  and  shall  reap  the  harvest  there- 
of, then  ye  shall  bring  the  sheaf  of  the  firstfruits 

11  of  your  harvest  unto  the  priest :  and  he  shall 
wave  the  sheaf  before  the  Lord,  to  be  accepted 
for  you :  on  the  morrow  after  the  sabbath  the 

12  priest  shall  wave  it.  And  in  the  day  when  ye 
wave  the  sheaf,  ye  shall  offer  a  he-lamb  without 
blemish  of  the  first  year  for  a  burnt  offering  unto 


1-3.  The  word  rendered  "feasts,"  or  in  R.  V. 
"set  feasts,"  is  the  plural  of  the  word  "Ij^lD, 
mo'ed  meaning  an  appointed  time.  It  is  a 
wider  term  than  jn,  chag,  "feast,"  or  rather 
"pilgrimage,"  which  is  used  to  designate  the 
three  pilgrimage  feasts,  Mazzoth  or  Unleavened 
Bread,  Weeks  or  Pentecost,  and  Ingathering  or 
Booths,  at  which  all  males  were  to  make  a 
pilgrimage  to  the  sanctuary  (see  Exod.  23  :  14-17). 
The  word  mo'ed  on  the  other  hand  covers  all 
appointed  seasons.  The  appointed  times  of  Je- 
hovah which  ye  shall  proclaim  as  holy  convoca- 
tions, these  are  my  appointed  times.  The  mean- 
ing of  "holy  convocation"  is  not  a  general 
assembling  of  the  nation  at  the  central  sanctuary 
— for  this  was  required  only  at  the  three  pilgrim- 
age feasts — but  an  occasion  of  sabbath  rest  for  all 
the  people,  which  probably  owed  its  name  to  the 
gatherings  for  religious  edification  which  in  later 
times  were  held  in  every  town  and  village  in  the 
Holy  Land.  The  typical  and  most  frequently 
recurring  "  holy  convocation  "  was  the  weekly 
Sabbath,  in  which  no  manner  of  work  was  to 
be  done. 

4-8,  Passover  and  Mazzoth.  In  ver.  4  occurs 
a  new  title  introducing  the  yearly  festivals.  The 
Passover  is  mentioned  only  as  introductory  to 
the  seven-day  Mazzoth  feast  which  occurs  in 
immediate  connection  with  it,  and  this  latter 
principally  for  its  first  and  seventh  days  which 
were  holy  convocations.    The  weekly  Sabbath 


and  the  Day  of  Atonement  (ver.  3,  so)  were  marked 
by  the  greatest  sabbatic  strictness,  no  manner  of 
work  being  permitted  on  them,  not  even  the 
kindling  of  a  fire  for  cooking  (Exod.  35 : 2,  3) .  On 
the  holy  convocation  connected  with  the  other 
festivals  only  servile  work,  lit.,  "work  of 
labor,"  i.  e.,  work  that  belongs  to  one's  worldly 
calling,  was  prohibited  (see  ver.  7,  s,  21,  25,  35,  36). 
In  the  prohibition  of  work  on  the  first  and 
seventh  days  of  Mazzoth  in  Exod.  12  :  16,  ex- 
ception is  especially  made  of  "  that  which  every 
man  must  eat."  For  the  more  detailed  direc- 
tions for  the  celebration  of  Mazzoth  see  Exod. 
12  :  15-20 ;  and  for  the  sacrifices  appointed  for 
that  festival  see  Num.  28  :  19-24. 

9-14.  The  first  sheaf  of  the  harvest.  The 
injunction  of  this  section  falls  outside  the  scope 
of  the  calendar,  as  fixed  by  the  title ;  it  relates 
to  an  ofiering  to  be  made  on  a  day  for  which  no 
convocation  is  prescribed.  In  its  present  con- 
nection, moreover  there  is  nothing  to  fix  the  day 
that  is  meant.  It  says  (Ter.  11)  the  morrow  after 
the  sabbath,  without  any  indication  as  to  what 
sabbath  is  intended.  This  seems  to  indicate  that 
the  passage  no  longer  stands  in  its  original  con- 
nection. It  is  generally  marked  by  critics,  along 
with  ver.  15-20,  22,  as  belonging  to  the  Law  of 
Holiness,  while  the  most  of  the  chapter  has  the 
characteristics  of  P. 

This  is  the  only  place  in  the  Pentateuch  where 
the  oflfering  of  the  first  sheaf  is  mentioned.    In 


Ch.  XXIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


91 


13  And  the  meat  offering  thereof  shall  be  two 
tenth  deals  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  an  offer- 
ing made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  for  a  sweet  savour : 
and  the  drink  offering  thereof  shall  be  of  wine,  the 
fourth  part  of  an  hiu. 

14  And  ye  shall  eat  neither  bread,  nor  parched 
corn,  nor  green  ears,  until  the  selfsame  day  that 
ye  have  brought  an  offering  unto  your  God  :  it  shall 
be  a  statute  for  ever  throughout  your  generations  in 
all  your  dwellings. 

15  And  ye  shall  count  unto  you  from  the  morrow 
after  the  sabbath,  from  the  day  that  ye  brought  the 
sheaf  of  the  wave  offering ;  seven  sabbaths  shall 
be  complete : 

16  Even  unto  the  morrow  after  the  seventh  sab- 
bath shall  ye  number  fifty  days ;  and  ye  shall  offer 
a  new  meat  offering  unto  the  Lord. 

17  Ye  shall  bring  out  of  your  habitations  two 
wave  loaves  of  two  tenth  deals:  they  shall  be  of 
fine  flour ;  they  shall  be  baken  with  leaven ;  they 
are  the  firstfruits  unto  the  Lord. 

18  And  ye  shall  offer  with  the  bread  seven  lambs 
without  blemish  of  the  first  year,  and  one  young 
bullock,  and  two  rams ;  they  shall  be  for  a  burnt 
offering  unto  the  Lord,  with  their  meat  offering, 
and  their  drink  offerings,  even  an  offering  made  by 
fire,  of  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

19  Then  ye  shall  sacrifice  one  kid  of  the  goats  for 
a  sin  offering,  and  two  lambs  of  the  first  year  for  a 
sacrifice  of  peace  offerings. 

20  And  the  priest  shall  wave  them  with  the  bread 
of  the  firstfruits /or  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord, 
with  the  two  lambs :  they  shall  be  holy  to  the  Lord 
for  the  priest. 

21  And  ye  shall  proclaim  on  the  selfsame  day, 
that  it  may  be  an  holy  convocation  unto  you :  ye 
shall  do  no  servile  work  therein :  it  shall  be  a  statute 


13  the  Lord.  And  the  meal  offering  thereof  shall 
be  two  tenth  parts  of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour  min- 
gled with  oil,  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord  for  a  sweet  savour :  and  the  drink  offering 
thereof  shall  be  of  wine,  the  fourth  part  of  an 

14  hin.  And  ye  shall  eat  neither  bread,  nor  parched 
corn,  nor  fresh  ears,  until  this  selfsame  day,  until 
ye  have  brought  the  oblation  of  your  God :  it  is  a 
statute  for  ever  throughout  your  generations  in 
all  your  dwellings. 

15  And  ye  shall  count  unto  you  from  the  morrow 
after  the  sabbath,  from  the  day  that  ye  brought 
the  sheaf  of  the  wave  oftering ;  seven  sabbaths 

16  shall  there  be  complete:  even  unto  the  morrow 
after  the  seventh  sabbath  shall  ye  number  fifty 
days ;  and  ye  shall  otter  a  new  meal  offering 

17  unto  the  Lord.  Ye  shall  bring  out  of  your 
habitations  two  wave  loaves  of  two  tenth  parts 
of  an  ephah:  they  shall  be  of  fine  flour,  they 
shall  be  baken  with  leaven,  for  firstfruits  unto 

18  the  Lord.  And  ye  shall  present  with  the  bread 
seven  lambs  without  blemish  of  the  first  year, 
and  one  young  bullock,  and  two  rams :  they 
shall  be  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord,  with 
their  meal  offering,  and  tlieir  drink  offerings, 
even  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour 

19  unto  the  Lord.  And  ye  shall  offer  one  he-goat 
for  a  sin  offering,  and  two  he-lambs  of  tlie  first 

20  year  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings.  And  the 
priest  shall  wave  them  with  the  bread  of  the 
firstfruits  for  a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord, 
with  the  two  lambs  :  they  shall  be  holy  to  the 

21  Lord  for  the  priest.  And  ye  shall  make  procla- 
mation on  the  selfsame  day  ;  there  shall  be  an 
holy  convocation   unto  you:    ye  shall  do  no 


Josh.  5  :  11  there  is  an  account  of  the  people's 
beginning  to  eat  of  the  produce  of  the  land  on 
the  day  after  the  Passover,  which  seems  to  be  an 
allusion  to  the  prohibition  in  ver.  14.  The  offering 
which  was  waved  was  probably  a  sheaf  of  barley, 
the  grain  which  was  first  ripe,  while  the  first 
fruits  of  the  wheat  harvest  were  offered  later  in 
the  loaves  of  Pentecost  (see  ver.  n) ,  The  "  morrow 
after  the  sabbath  "  is  traditionally  understood  to 
be  the  day  after  the  first  day  of  Mazzoth,  i.  e.,  the 
sixteenth  of  Nisan — the  first  day  of  the  feast  being 
a  "  sabbath  "  in  the  sense  of  being  a  day  of  holy 
convocation  on  which  no  servile  work  was 
allowed.  The  Day  of  Atonement  is  similarly 
called  a  sabbath  (see  ver.  32).  This,  however,  is 
not  the  usual  sense  of  the  term  sabbath  ;  so  that 
some  have  thought  that  the  sabbath  meant  w'as 
the  ordinary  weekly  Sabbath  that  falls  during 
the  seven  days  of  Mazzoth.  The  meal  offering 
of  two  tenth-parts  of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour  ( ver. 
13)  has  been  observed  to  be  twice  as  large  as  the 
usual  meal  offering  allotted  to  a  lamb  ^see  Exod.  29  : 
40),  a  greater  liberality  befitting  a  harvest  feast. 
15-22.  The  feast  of  Weeks.  This  feast  is 
brought  into  close  connection  with  the  preced- 
ing, or  offering  of  the  sheaf,  as  marking  the 
completion  of  the  harvest  which  formally  com- 
menced with  that  ceremonial.  The  later  Jews 
called  it  n*)Vj^,  'atzereth,  or  closing  festival  (cf. 
ver.  36,  R.  v..  Margin).    The  time  of  its  observauce 


depends  strictly  on  that  "  morrow  after  the  sab- 
bath," which  is  the  starting-point  from  which 
the  fifty  days  are  reckoned.  In  the  Apocrypha 
(Tobit  2  : 1 ;  2  Mace.  12  :  32)  and  the  Ncw  Testament 

(Acts  2:1;    20  :  16  ;    1  Cor.  16  :  8)  the  fcstival  IS  Called 

Pentecost,  from  the  Greek  word  meaning  the  fif- 
tieth. 15.  Seven  sabbaths  means  seven  weeks, 
the  term  sabbath  being  often  used  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament as  well  as  the  Old  by  simple  metonymy  for 
week.  17.  Out  of  your  habitations  doesnot 
mean  that  each  householder  should  bring  two 
loaves  to  the  priests,  which  would  certainly  over- 
whelm them  with  bread,  but  that  the  congrega- 
tion should  bring  to  the  feast  such  loaves  as  are 
used  in  their  "  habitations,"  i.  e.,  in  common  life 
(therefore  leavened),  not  sacred  bread  baked  for 
the  purpose.  The  sacrifices  named  in  ver.  18, 
19  difi'er  from  those  prescribed  in  Num.  28  :  26, 
27  in  one  particular.  In  that  place  two  young 
bulls  and  one  ram  are  commanded,  instead  of 
one  young  bull  and  two  rams,  as  here.  Some 
commentators  think  that  the  whole  middle  part 
of  ver.  18,  from  the  word  bread  to  and  including 
drink  offerings,  is  interpolated,  with  the  acci- 
dental change,  from  the  passage  in  Numbers. 
The  Jewish  authorities  think  that  the  sacrifices 
prescribed  in  Numbers  are  additional  to  these. 
On  waving  (ver.  20)  see  note  on  7  :  28-34.  Liv- 
ing creatures  were  Avaved,  it  is  said,  by  being 
led  to  and  fro  before  the  sanctuary  in  a  pre- 


92 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


for  ever  in  all  your  dwellings  throughout  your 
generations. 

22  And  when  ye  reap  the  harvest  of  your  land, 
thou  Shalt  not  make  clean  riddance  of  the  corners 
of  thy  field  when  thou  reapest,  neither  shalt  thou 
gather  any  gleaning  of  thy  harvest:  thou  shalt 
leave  them  unto  the  poor,  and  to  the  stranger :  I 
am  the  Lord  your  God. 

23  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

21  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  In 
the  seventh  month,  in  the  first  day  of  the  month, 
shall  ye  have  a  sabbath,  a  memorial  of  blowing  of 
trumpets,  an  holy  convocation. 

25  Ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein :  but  ye 
shall  oiler  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 

2G  And  tlie  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

27  Also  on  the  tenth  day  ol  this  seven  tli  month 
there  nhall  be  a  day  of  atonement :  it  shall  be  an  holy 
convocation  unto  you;  and  ye  shall  afflict  your 
smuIs,  and  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord. 

2S  And  ye  shall  do  no  work  in  that  same  day  :  for 
it  IS  a  day'of  atonement,  to  make  an  atonement  for 
yuii  before  the  Lord  your  God. 

2y  For  whatsoever  soul  it  be  that  shall  not  be 
alllicted  in  tliat  same  day,  he  shall  be  cut  off  from 
among  his  people. 

;;o  And  whatsoever  soul  it  be  thatdoeth  any  work 
in  that  same  day,  the  same  soul  will  I  destroy  from 
among  his  people. 

61  Ye  shall  do  no  manner  of  work  :  it  shall  be  a 
statute  for  ever  throughout  your  generations  in  all 
your  dwellings. 

32  It  shall  be  unto  you  a  sabbath  of  rest,  and  ye 
shall  afflict  your  souls:  in  the  ninth  day  of  the 
month  at  even,  from  even  unto  even,  shall  ye  cele- 
brate your  sabbath. 

33  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

3-1  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  The 
fifteenth  day  of  this  seventh  month  shall  be  the 
feast  of  tabernacles /or  seven  days  unto  the  Lord. 

35  On  the  first  day  shall  be  an  holy  convocation  : 
ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein. 

36  Seven  days  ye  shall  offer  an  offering  made  by 
fire  unto  the  Lord  :  on  the  eighth  day  shall  be  an 
holy  convocation  unto  you ;  and  ye  shall  offer  an 
offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  :  it  is  a  solemn 
assembly  ;  and  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  therein. 


servile  work :  it  is  a  statute  for  ever  in  all  your 
dwellings  throughout  your  generations. 

22  And  when  ye  reap  the  harvest  of  your  land, 
thou  shalt  not  wholly  reap  the  corners  of  thy 
field,  neither  shalt  thou  gather  the  gleaning  of 
thy  harvest :  thou  shalt  leave  them  for  the  poor, 
and  for  the  stranger :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

23  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

24  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  In  the 
seventh  month,  in  the  first  day  of  the  month, 
shall  be  a  solemn  rest  unto  you,  a  memorial  of 

25  blowing  of  trumpets,  an  holy  convocation.  Ye 
shall  do  no  servile  work  ;  and  ye  shall  offer  an 
offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 

26  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

27  Howbeit  on  the  tenth  day  of  this  seventh  month 
is  the  day  of  atonement :  it  shall  be  an  holy  con- 
vocation unto  you,  and  ye  shall  afflict  your  souls  ; 
and  ye  shall  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto 

28  the  Lord.  And  ye  shall  do  no  manner  of  work 
in  that  same  day  :  for  it  is  a  day  of  atonement, 
to  make  atonement  for  you  before  the  Lord  your 

29  God.  For  whatsoever  soul  it  be  that  shall  not 
be  afflicted  in  that  same  day,  he  shall  be  cut  off 

30  from  his  people.  And  whatsoever  soul  it  be  that 
doeth  any  manner  of  work  in  that  same  day, 
that  soul' will  I  destroy  from  among  his  people. 

31  Ye  shall  do  no  manner  of  work  :  it  is  a  statute 
for  ever  throughout  your  generations  in  all  your 

32  dwellings.  It  shall  be  unto  you  a  sabbath  of 
solemn  rest,  and  ye  shall  afflict  your  souls :  in 
the  ninth  day  of  the  month  at  even,  from  even 
unto  even,  shall  ye  keep  your  sabbath. 

33  And   the   Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

34  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  On 
the  fifteenth  day  of  this  seventh  month  is  the 
feast  of  tabernacles  for  seven  days  unto  the  Lord. 

35  On  the  first  day  shall  be  an  holy  convocation : 

36  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work.  Seven  days  ye 
shall  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord  :  on  the  eighth  day  shall  be  an  holy  con- 
vocation unto  you  ;  and  ye  shall  offer  an  offer- 
ing made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord  :  it  is  a  solemn 
assembly ;  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work. 


scribed  way.  This  pentecost  was  one  of  the 
three  D"'iin,  chagrjim,  or  pilgrimage  feasts,  and 
it  was  a  day  of  holy  convocation  (ver.  21).  The 
injunction  in  ver.  22,  which  repeats  the  law  in 
19  :  9,  10,  is  appropriately  inserted  in  connec- 
tion with  a  festival  celebrating  the  completion 
of  harvest. 

23-25.  The  New  Year.  This  festival  is 
named  only  here  and  in  Num.  29  :  1.  Accord- 
ing to  uniform  tradition  this  first  day  of  the 
-seventh  month  is  the  beginning  of  the  civil  year 
in  use  before  the  Exodus.  The  seventh  month, 
that  most  sacred  of  months,  containing  the  Day 
of  Atonement  and  the  feast  of  Booths,  was  fit- 
tingly ushered  in  in  this  exceptional  way.  As 
the  months  were  lunar,  there  was  a  new  moon 
observance  at  the  beginning  of  each  month,  but 
this  new  moon  festival  was  of  unique  impor- 
t<ance.  The  trumpet  is  not  mentioned  in  the 
Hebrew  text  of  eitlier  this  place  or  Num.  29  : 1, 
the  word  translated  "  blowing  of  trumpets " 
meaning  literally  shouting;  but  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt   the    tradition  that   trumpet- 


blowing  was  the  characteristic  method  of  ob- 
servance. The  day  is  called,  not  strictly  a 
sabbath  (ver.  24),  but  p.n3Ji',  shahbathon,  or 
"solemn  rest"  (see  R.  V.) ;  and  only  servile 
work  is  prohibited. 

26-32.  The  Day  of  Atonement.  This  day 
was  to  be  kept  with  the  greatest  of  Sabbath 
strictness.  The  matter  on  which  stress  is  laid 
here  is  the  duty  of  "  afflicting  the  soul,"  and  of 
abstaining  from  work  from  the  ninth  evening 
to  the  tenth.  The  manner  of  observing  the  day 
is  prescribed  in  chap.  16. 

33-38.  The  feast  of  Booths.  The  real  feast 
of  Booths  lasted  seven  days,  from  the  fifteenth 
of  the  month.  It  was  one  of  the  feasts  called  by 
the  name  JPI,  chag,  or  pilgrimage.  The  first 
day  was  a  holy  convocation  in  which  no  ' '  work 
of  labor,"  or  servile  work,  was  allowed.  After 
the  festival  had  been  kept  for  seven  days  with 
the  remarkable  series  of  sacrifices  described  in 
Num.  29  :  12-34,  an  eighth  day  of  holy  convoca- 
tion served  as  a  supplemental  day,  constituting 
a  solemn  close  to  the  whole  series  of  the  year's 


Ch.  XXIII.] 


LEVITICUS 


93 


37  These  are  the  feasts  of  the  Lord,  Avhich  ye 
shall  proclaim  to  be  holy  convocations,  to  offer  an 
offering  made  by  fire  un'to  the  Lord,  a  burnt  offer- 
ing, and  a  meat  offering,  a  sacrifice,  and  drink 
oft'erings,  every  thing  upon  his  day  : 

38  Beside  the  sabbaths  of  the  Lord,  and  beside 
your  gifts,  and  beside  all  your  vows,  and  beside  all 
your  freewill  offerings,  which  ye  give  unto  the  Lord. 

39  Also  in  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month, 
when  ye  have  gathered  in  the  fruit  of  the  land,  ye 
shall  keep  a  feast  unto  the  Lord  seven  days :  on  the 
first  day  shall  be  a  sabbath,  and  on  the  eighth  day 
shall  be  a  sabbath. 


37  These  are  the  set  feasts  of  the  Lord,  which  ye 
shall  proclaim  to  be  holy  convocations,  to  offer 
an  offering  made  by  fire  "unto  the  Lord,  a  burnt 
off'ering,  and  a  meal  offering,  a  sacrifice,  and 

38  drink  offerings,  each  on  its  own  day  :  beside  the 
sabbaths  of  the  Lord,  and  beside  your  gifts,  and 
beside  all  your  vows,  and  beside  all  your  free- 
will offerings,  which  ye  give  unto  the  Lord. 

39  Howbeit  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh 
month,  when  ye  have  gathered  in  the  fruits  of 
the  land,  ye  shall  keep  the  feast  of  the  Lord 
seven  days :  on  the  first  day  shall  be  a  solemn 
rest,  and  on  the  eighth  day  shall  be  a  solemn 


feasts.  This  was  characterized  as  an  r\"lVj^, 
'atzereth,  or  solemn  assembly  (ver.  36)^  a  term  so 
often  used  of  the  gathering  at  the  last  day  of  the 

feast  (see  Num.  29  :  35  ;   2  Chron.  7:9;   Neh.  8  :  18),  being 

also  applied  to  the  last  day  of  Mazzoth  (see  oeut. 
16 : 8)  that  it  has  been  sometimes  translated  closing 
festival  (seeR.  V.,  Margin).  Its  use,  however, 
to  denote  an  assembly  of  men  (Jer.  9  :  2)^  espe- 
cially an  assembly  gathered  for  a  religious  pur- 
pose (2  Kings  10  :  20  ;    Amos  5  :  2l)^  is  decisivC  against 

this  meaning.  The  sacrifices  on  this  day  were 
somewhat  less  extensive  than  on  the  other  days 
of  the  feast  (see  Num.  29 :  35-38).     From  the  text  of 

1  Kings  8  :  65,  66  it  appears  that  Solomon  kept 
the  feast  for  only  seven  days,  dismissing  the 
people  on  the  eighth  day.  In  post-exilic  times, 
however,  the  supernumerary  day  was  observed, 
with  express  reference  to  the  law  here  (see  Neh. 
8  :  18) :  and  even  Solomon's  practice,  already  re- 
ferred to,  is  made  by  an  alteration  of  the  text  in 

2  Chron.  7  :  9  to  conform  to  this  command. 
Ver.  37,  38  are  a  subscription  corresponding 

to  the  title,  ver.  2,  4,  and  by  apparently  closing 
the  chapter  make  ver.  39-44  supplementary  in 
their  nature.  The  sacrifices  to  be  offered  on 
these  days  of  holy  convocation  are  to  be  stated 
sacrifices,  in  addition  to  those  prescribed  for  the 
weekly  Sabbath  (see  Num.  28  : 9,  lo),  and  also  to  the 
gifts  and  vows  and  freewill  offerings  which  the 
various  promptings  of  religious  feeling  would 
lead  men  to  bring. 

39-44.  Additional  directions  for  the  feast 
of  Booths.  These  supplementary  verses  have 
more  distinctly  the  characteristics  of  the  Law 
of  Holiness,  while  the  greater  part  of  the  pre- 
ceding portions  of  the  chapter  are  in  the  style 
of  P.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  Law  of  Holi- 
ness to  regulate  the  time  of  the  festivals  by  refer- 
ence to  the  land  and  to  agriculture,  while  P.  has 
more  of  a  tendency  to  make  these  festivals  occa- 
sions fixed  arbitrarily  for  worship.  In  this 
respect  the  Law  of  Holiness  still  preserves  the 
traditions  of  the  earlier  legislation  of  the  Book 
of  the  Covenant  and  Deuteronomy  according  to 
which  two  out  of  the  only  three  festivals  recog- 
nized   (Exod.  23  :  14  ;    34  :  23  ;    Deut.  16)    were   harvCSt 


feasts.  "  In  the  Priests'  Law  (Lev.  23 ;  Num.  28, 29) 
the  Passover  precedes  the  seven  days  of  Un- 
leavened Bread  as  an  independent  feast,  and, 
together  with  them,  is  regarded  as  commemo- 
rating nothing  but  the  divine  protection  expe- 
rienced by  the  people  when  they  went  out  of 
Egypt.  The  autumn  festival  also  lasts  eight 
days,  and  is  devoted  to  the  memory  of  the  dwell- 
ing in  booths  during  the  journey  through  the 
desert.  The  only  one  which  has  no  theocratic 
foundation  in  the  Old  Testament  is  the  feast  of 
Weeks  (Pentecost).  There  are  the  following 
new  feasts :  the  day  of  Memorial-Blowing  on  the 
first  of  the  seventh  month,  and  the  great  Day 
of  Atonement  on  the  tenth  of  the  same  month. 
The  old  feasts,  like  these  new  ones,  are  now  pre- 
cisely dated  (Passover  on  the  fourteenth  of  the 
first  month ;  Tabernacles  from  the  fifteenth  to  the 
twenty-second  of  the  seventh  month),  whereas  in 
earlier  times  each  was  proclaimed  according  to 
the  state  of  the  harvest"  (Kautzsch).  The 
present  chapter,  as  a  final  redaction,  represents 
in  some  places  the  ultimate  exactness  of  the 
priestly  legislators,  and  in  some  the  somewhat 
earlier  sentiment  of  the  Law  of  Holiness.  "  The 
centralization  of  worshijj  at  Jerusalem  would 
tend  to  greater  regularity  in  fixing  the  time  of 
the  several  feasts ;  and  this  tendency  would  be 
carried  still  further  when  the  close  connection 
between  the  life  of  the  people  and  the  operations 
of  agriculture  had  been  broken.  In  the  Law  of 
Holiness,  as  is  clear  from  many  passages,  the  old 
connection  was  still  felt;  the  priestly  prophet 
Ezekiel  appoints  fixed  daj's  for  the  feasts.  In 
the  present  chapter  one  legislator  represents  the 
tradition  current  among  the  people ;  the  other 
shows  the  systematization  of  worship  and  ob- 
servance which  was  carried  on  in  priestly 
circles"  (Driver). 

39,  When  ye  have  gathered  in  the  fruit 
of  the  land.  In  Exodus  (23:i6;  34:22)  this 
feast  is  called  the  feast  of  Ingathering  at  the 
year's  end.  In  the  Holy  Land  the  whole  of  the 
harvest  would  be  completed  about  the  first  of 
October.  The  'atzereth,  or  supplemental  eighth 
day  of  the  feast,  is  mentioned  in  ver.  39,  but  it 


94 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


40  And  ye  shall  take  you  on  the  first  day  the 
boughs  of  goodlv  trees,  branches  of  palm  trees,  and 
the  Ijuuglisof  thick  trees,  and  willows  of  the  bniok  ; 
and  ye  shall  rejoice  before  the  Lord  your  God  seven 

41  And  ye  shall  keep  it  a  feast  unto  the  Lord 
seven  days  in  tlie  year.  It  shall  he  a  statute  for  ever 
in  your  generations:  ye  shall  celebrate  it  in  the 
seventh  month.  „  .,    ^ 

42  Ye  shall  dwell  in  booths  seven  days ;  all  that 
are  Israelites  born  shall  dwell  in  booths  : 

43  Tliat  your  generations  may  know  that  I  made 
the  children  of  Israel  to  dwell  in  booths,  when  I 
brought  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt:  I  am  the 
Lord  your  God. 

44  And  iMoses  declared  unto  the  children  of  Israel 
the  feasts  of  the  Lord. 


40  rest.  And  ye  shall  take  you  on  the  first  day  the 
fruit  of  goodly  trees,  braucnes  of  palm  trees,  and 
bouglis  of  thick  trees,  and  willows  of  the  brook  ; 
and  ye  shall  rejoice  before  the  Lord  your  God 

41  seven  days.  And  ye  shall  keep  it  a  feast  unto 
the  Lord  seven  days  in  the  year  :  it  is  a  statute 
for  ever  in  your  generations  :  ye  shall  keep  it  in 

42  the  seventh  month.  Ye  shall  dwell  in  booths 
seven  days ;  all  that  are  homeborn  in  Israel 

43  shall  dwell  in  booths :  that  your  generations  may 
know  that  I  made  the  children  of  Israel  to  dwell 
in  booths,  when  I  brought  them  out  of  the  land 

44  of  Egypt :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  And  Moses 
declared  unto  the  children  of  Israel  the  set  feasts 
of  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  bring 
unto  thee  pure  oil  olive  beaten  for  the  light,  to 
cause  the  lamps  to  burn  continually. 

3  Without  the  vail  of  the  testimony,  in  the  taber- 
nacle of  liie  congregation,  shall  Aaron  order  it  from 
the  evening  unto  the  morning  before  the  Lord  con- 
tinually :  it  shall  he  a  statute  for  ever  in  your  gene- 
rations. 

4  He  shall  order  the  lamps  upon  the  pure  candle- 
stick before  the  Lord  continually. 

5  And  thou  shalt  take  tine  flour,  and  bake  twelve 
cakes  thereof :  two  tenth  deals  shall  be  in  one  cake. 


1  AND   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,   saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they 
bring  unto  tliee  pure  olive  oil  beaten  for  the 
light,   to   cause    a   lamp  to  burn   continually. 

3  Without  the  veil  of  the  testimony,  in  the  tent  of 
meeting,  shall  Aaron  order  it  from  evening  to 
morning  before  the  Lord  continually :  it  shall 
be  a  statute  for  ever  throughout  your  genera- 

4  tions.  He  shall  order  the  lamps  upon  the  pure 
candlestick  before  the  Lord  continually. 

5  And  thou  shalt  take  fine  flour,  and  bake 
twelve  cakes  thereof:    two  tenth   parts  of  an 


seems  to  be  ignored  in  the  remaining  verses. 
The  festival  does  not  appear  to  have  been  ob- 
served by  dwelling  in  booths  from  the  first  en- 
trance into  the  Holy  Land  until  after  the  exile ; 
but  its  observance  in  Jerusalem  after  the  return 
is  minutely  described  in  Neh.  8  :  14-18.  Booths 
were  temporary  huts  of  branches  such  as  were 
used  by  herdsmen  for  cattle.'  It  is  to  be  noted 
tliat  in  the  history  the  kind  of  habitation  used 
by  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  is 
never  called  ri3p,  sukkah,  booth,  but  /HK, 
'ohel,  tent  of  cloth  or  skin.  No  doubt,  however, 
in  their  forty  years'  wandering,  Avhen  scattered 
far  from  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  sanctuary 
seeking  sustenance  for  their  cattle,  the  people 
frequently  used  booths.  But  the  law  is  for- 
mulated here,  not  from  tlie  standpoint  of  the 
sojourn  at  Sinai,  but  from  that  of  the  later  time, 
when  the  wandering  in  the  wilderness  of  Sin 
was  a  historic  memory.  While  the  command 
to  observe  the  feast  seems  in  ver.  42  to  include 
only  tlie  home-born,  yet  its  joys  were  according 
to  Deuteronomy  to  extend  to  foreigners,  perhaps 
as  their  guests  (see  oeut.  le  :  i4). 


Chap.  24.  Miscellaneous  Regulations. 
1-4.  On  the  lamps  in  the  tabernacle.  This 
is  an  almost  verbatim  repetition  of  directions 
given  in  Exod.  27  :  20,  21.  The  pure  candle- 
stick is  described  in  Exod.  25  :  31-39;  and 
the  execution  by  Aaron  of  the  command  is  re- 
corded in  Num.  8  :  1-4.     The  directions  both 


here  and  in  Exodus  seem  to  treat  the  main- 
tenance of  the  light  as  a  popular  offering,  as  the 
command  is  issued  to  the  congregation,  and 
stress  is  laid  on  the  purity  and  choiceness  of  the 
material  which  the  people  are  to  supply.  It  is 
noteworthy  that  in  the  vision  of  Zechariah  (zech. 
4),  which  is  evidently  the  product  of  the  pro- 
phetic mind  making  a  homiletic  use  of  this 
piece  of  tabernacle  furniture,  nearly  all  the  in- 
terest turns  on  the  supply  of  oil.  Whatever 
of  divine  illumination  may  be  typified  by  the 
perpetual  burning  of  a  light  before  Jehovah,  it 
is  an  illumination  for  which  the  people  are  spe- 
cially made  responsible.  It  is  a  phenomenon 
in  the  temple  which  does  not  present  itself  to  the 
worshiper  as  a  light  from  an  unknown  source 
supposedly  supernatural,  but  a  light  which  re- 
sults from  the  priestly  manipulation  of  his  own 
gifts.  The  continual  illumination  is  therefore 
an  act  of  worship — the  people's  offering  of  light 
to  Jehovah.  It  expresses  perhaps  the  perpetual 
watchfulness  and  intelligence  which  belong  to 
true  religion,  just  as  the  various  sacrifices  and 
minchahs  express  the  perpetual  outgo  of  devo- 
tion and  friendship,  or  the  special  emotion  of 
penitence,  which  characterizes  religion  from 
other  points  of  view. 

5-9.  On  the  she^vbread.     The  shewbread  is 
mentioned  in  various  places  (Exod.  25  :  so;  35 :  is; 

39  :  36  ;    2  Chron.  13  :  11,  etc.)^  but  it  is  Only  hcrC  that 

its  preparation  and  treatment  are  expressly  de- 
scribed.   Its  distinctive  name,  the  bread  of  the 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


LEVITICUS 


95 


6  And  thou  shalt  set  them  in  two  rows,  six  on  a 
row,  upon  the  pure  table  before  the  Lord. 

7  Aud  thou  siialt  put  pure  frankincense  upon 
each  row,  that  it  may  be  ou  tlie  bread  for  a  memo- 
rial, even  an  offering  made  by  tire  unto  the  Lord. 

8  Every  sabbath  he  shall  set  it  in  order  before 
the  Lord  continually,  being  taken  from  the  children 
of  Israel  by  an  everlasting  covenant. 

9  And  it  shall  be  Aaron's  and  his  sons';  and  they 
shall  eat  it  in  the  holy  place :  for  it  is  most  holy 
unto  him  of  the  offerings  of  the  Lord  made  by  fire 
bv  a  perpetual  statute. 

"lO  Aud  the  son  of  an  Israelitish  woman,  whose 
father  was  an  Egyptian,  went  out  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  and  this  son  of  the  Israelitish 
woman  and  a  man  of  Israel  strove  together  in  the 
camp; 

11  And  the  Israelitish  woman's  son  blasphemed 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  cursed.  And  they 
brought  him  unto  Moses:  (and  his  mother's  name 
was  Sheloraith,  the  daughter  of  Dibri,  of  the  tribe 
of  Dan : ) 

12  And  they  put  him  in  ward,  that  the  mind  of 
the  Lord  might  be  shewed  them. 

13  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

14  Bring  forth  him  that  hath  cursed  without  the 
camp ;  and  let  all  that  heard  hi)n  lay  their  hands 
upon  his  head,  and  let  all  the  congregation  stone 
him. 

15  And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, saying,  VV^hosoever  curseth  his  God  shall  bear 
his  sin, 

16  And  he  that  blasphemeth  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death,  and  all  the 
congregation  shall  certainly  stone  him :  as  well 
the  stranger,  as  he  that  is  born  in  the  land,  when 
he  blasphemeth  the  name  of  the  Lord,  shall  be  put 
to  death. 


6  ephah  shall  be  in  one  cake.  And  thou  shalt  set 
them  in  two  rows,  six  ou  a  row,  upon  the  pure 

7  table  before  the  Lord.  And  thou  shalt  put  pure 
iraukiucense  upon  each  row,  that  it  may  be  to 
the  bread  for  a  memorial,  even  an  offering  made 

8  by  fire  unto  the  Lord.  Every  sabbath  day  he 
shall  set  it  in  order  before  the  Lord  continually; 
it  is  on  the  behalf  of  the  children  of  Israel,  an 

9  everlasting  covenant.  And  it  shall  be  for  Aaron 
and  his  sons ;  and  they  shall  eat  it  in  a  holy 
place  :  for  it  is  most  holy  unto  him  of  the  offer- 
ings of  the  Lord  made  by  fire  by  a  perpetual 
statute. 

10  And  the  son  of  an  Israelitish  woman,  whose 
father  was  an  Egyptian,  went  out  among  the 
children  of  Israel:  and  the  son  of  the  Israel- 
itish woman  and  a  man  of  Israel  strove  together 

11  in  the  camp ;  and  the  son  of  the  Israelitish 
woman  blasphemed  the  Name,  aud  cursed  :  and 
they  brought  him  unto  Moses.  Aud  his  mother's 
name  was  Shelomith,  the  daughter  of  Dibri,  of 

12  the  tribe  of  Dan.  Aud  they  put  him  in  ward, 
that  it  might  be  declared  unto  them  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord. 

13  And    the   Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

14  Bring  forth  him  that  hath  cursed  without  the 
camp;  and  let  all  that  heard  him  lay  their 
hands  upon  his  head,  and  let  all  the  cougrega- 

15  tion  stone  him.  Aud  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  saying,  Whosoever  curseth 

16  his  God  shall  bear  his  sin.  And  he  that  blas- 
phemeth the  name  of  the  Lord,  he  shall  surely 
be  put  to  death ;  all  the  congregation  shall 
certainly  stone  him :  as  well  the  stranger,  as 
the  homeborn,  when  he  blasphemeth  the  name 


presence,  is  not  used  here.  The  cakes  were  with- 
out doubt  unleavened,  according  to  the  rule  for 
the  meal  offering  that  was  offered  to  Jehovah 
(2  :  11),  though  as  none  of  this  was  burned  on 
the  altar  the  special  reason  for  forbidding  the 
leaven  in  the  case  of  the  ordinary  meal  offering 
did  not  exist.  The  quantity  of  fine  flour  in  the 
cakes  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  wave  loaves  of 
Pentecost  (23 :  17) ;  and  we  note  the  generous  size 
— each  cake  containing  two-tenths  of  an  ephah 
or  about  six  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  flour.  They 
were  arranged  in  two  piles  rather  than  rows 
(ver.  6,  see  R.  V.,  Margin)^  and  the  inccnse,  according 
to  Jewish  tradition,  was  placed  in  golden  saucers, 
one  on  each  pile,  and  burned  on  the  altar  as  an 
n*l3T5<,  'azkarah,  or  memorial  (ver.  7)  on  the 
removal  of  the  loaves  each  Sabbath. 

10-23.  The  incident  of  the  blasphemer,  and 
the  laws  arising  out  of  it.  This  is  a  somewhat 
peculiar  interpolation  of  narrative  as  a  basis 
for  a  law.  A  similar  instance  of  law  derived  as 
a  divine  decision  from  a  particular  case  is  found 
in  Num.  15  :  32-36.  The  uncertainty  of  the 
children  of  Israel  as  to  what  to  do  in  the  case 
was  due  not  alone  to  this  being  the  first  instance 
of  outspoken  blasphemy,  but  especially  to  the 
fact  that  the  transgressor  was  not  strictly  of  the 
congregation  of  Israel,  being  the  son  of  an 
Egyptian  father.  The  offense  is  described  as 
blaspheming  the  Name  (ver.  11,  see  r.  v.).    This 


expression,  the  Name,  used  absolutely  for 
Jehovah,  is  not  found  elsewhere  in  the  Old 
Testament,  and  is  a  post-biblical  expression 
which  came  into  use  in  an  age  when  the  Jews 
shrank  from  pronouncing  the  sacred  name  itself. 
Some  critics  think  that  "the  Name"  has  been 
substituted  by  the  scribes  for  "Jehovah."  The 
verb  rendered  blasphemed  in  ver.  11  is  taken 
by  Jewish  interpreters  as  meaning  pronounced 
(cf.  LXX,  enovofidaag)^  and  the  rabbinists  based 
on  this  verse  the  notion  that  it  is  not  lawful  to 
speak  the  name  which  we  seek  to  represent  by 
the  word  Jehovah  or  Jahveh.  The  true  pronun- 
ciation of  the  name  is  irretrievably  lost,  it  being 
known  only  that  its  consonants  are  JHVH, 
while  for  the  original  vowels  others  have  sys- 
tematically been  substituted  from  time  immemo- 
rial by  the  scribes. 

The  witnesses  were  directed  (ver.  14)  to  lay 
their  hands  on  the  offender's  head,  perhaps  in 
token  of  throwing  off  from  themselves  the  blas- 
phemy which  they  had  heard  and  returning  it 
to  the  blasphemer  himself,  in  a  manner  analo- 
gous to  the  washing  of  hands  in  Dent.  21  :  6. 
In  the  punishment  of  blasphemy  described  in 
Acts  (7  :  58;  22  :  2o)  the  wituesses  evidently  took 
the  heaviest  labor  of  the  stoning.  The  law  de- 
rived from  the  incident  is  specifically  formu- 
lated in  ver.  16,  and  is  carefully  made  to  in- 
clude the  foreigner  as  well  as  the  Israelite.    The 


96 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXV. 


17  And  he  that  killeth  any  man  shall  surely  be 

put  to  death.  ,        ,       ^    .    n        i      -4. 

18  And  he  that  killeth  a  beast  shall  make  it 
good ;  beast  for  beast.  .....         •  ^ 

19  And  if  a  man  cause  a  blemish  in  his  neigh- 
bour ;  as  he  hath  done,  so  shall  it  be  done  to  him  ; 

20  Breach  for  breach,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth  : 
as  he  hath  caused  a  blemish  in  a  man,  so  shall  it 
be  done  to  him  a.gram.  .    ..      t.  ,, 

21  And  he  that  killeth  a  beast,  he  shall  restore 
it:  and  he  that  killeth  a  man,  he  shall  be  put  to 
death. 

22  Ye  shall  have  one  manner  of  law,  as  well  for 
the  stranger,  as  for  one  of  your  own  country :  for 
I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  ,  ^        , 

23  And  Moses  spake  to  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  should  bring  forth  him  that  had  cursed 
out  of  the  camp,  and  stone  him  with  stones.  And 
the  children  of  Israel  did  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 


17  of  the  Lord,  shall  be  put  to  death.  And  he 
that  smiteth  any  man  mortally  shall  surely  be 

18  put  to  death  ;  and  he  that  smiteth  a  beast  mor- 

19  tally  shall  make  it  good  :  life  for  life.  And  if  a 
man  cause  a  blemish  in  his  neighbour;  as  he 

20  hath  done,  so  shall  it  be  done  to  him ;  breach 
for  breach,  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth  :  as  he 
hath  caused  a  blemish  in  a  man,  so  shall  it  be 

21  rendered  unto  him.  And  he  that  killeth  a  beast 
shall  make  it  good :  and  he  that  killeth  a  man 

22  shall  be  put  to  death.  Ye  shall  have  one  man- 
ner of  law,  as  well  for  the  stranger,  as  for  the 

23  homeborn :  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  And 
Moses  spake  to  the  children  of  Israel,  and  they 
brought  forth  him  that  had  cursed  out  of  the 
camp,  and  stoned  him  with  stones.  And  the 
children  of  Israel  did  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  mount  Sinai, 
saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  come  into  the  land  which  I  give 
you,  then  shall  the  land  keep  a  sabbath  unto  the 
Lord. 

3  Six  years  thou  shalt  sow  thy  field,  and  six  years 
thou  shalt  prune  thy  vineyard,  and  gather  in  the 
fruit  thereof ; 

4  But  in  the  seventh  year  shall  be  a  sabbath  of 
rest  unto  the  land,  a  sabbath  for  the  Lord :  thou 
shalt  neither  sow  thy  field,  nor  prune  thy  vineyard. 

5  That  which  groweth  of  its  own  accord  of  thy 
harvest  thou  shalt  not  reap,  neither  gather  the 
grapes  of  thy  vine  undressed :  for  it  is  a  year  of 
rest  unto  the  land. 

6  And  the  sabbath  of  the  land  shall  be  meat  for 
vou ;  for  thee,  and  for  thy  servant,  and  for  thy 
inaid,  and  for  thy  hired  servant,  and  for  thy  stran- 
ger that  sojourneth  with  thee. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  mount 

2  Sinai,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  say  unto  them.  When  ye  come  into  the  land 
which  I  give  you,  then  shall  the  land  keep  a 

3  sabbath  unto  the  Lord.  Six  years  thou  shalt  sow 
thy  field,   and  six  years  thou  shalt  prune  thy 

4  vineyard,  and  gather  in  the  fruits  thereof  ;  but 
in  the  seventh  year  shall  be  a  sabbath  of  solemn 
rest  for  the  land,  a  sabbath  unto  the  Lord  :  thou 
shalt  neither  sow  thy  field,  nor  prune  thy  vine- 

5  yard.  That  which  groweth  of  itself  of  thy  har- 
vest thou  shalt  not  reap,  and  the  grapes  of  thy 
undressed  vine  thou  shalt  not  gather:  it  shall 

6  be  a  year  of  solemn  rest  for  the  land.  And  the 
sabbath  of  the  land  shall  be  for  food  for  you : 
for  thee,  and  for  thy  servant  and  for  thy  maid, 
and  for  thy  hired  servant  and  for  thy  stranger 


laws  given  in  ver.  17-22  are  substantially  a 
repetition  of  laws  found  in  the  book  of  the 
Covenant  (Exod.  21  :  12-14, 23-25, 33-36),  and  are  here 
introduced  in  order,  perhaps,  that  it  may  be 
made  clear  that,  like  the  law  for  the  blasphemer, 
they  apply  to  foreigners  as  well  as  to  the  home- 
born  (see  ver.  22). 


Chap.  25.  The  sabbatical  yeae  and 
THE  year  op  Jubilee.  1-7.  The  sabbatical 
year.  The  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in 
mount  Sinai.  This  is  the  only  place  in 
this  book  of  Leviticus  where  a  section  is  in- 
troduced by  the  specific  note  of  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai  as  the  place  where  the  revelation 
was  given,  though  the  statement  repeatedly 
occurs    in    final    subscriptions  to  the  sections 

(see  7  :  38;  26  :  46 ;  27  :  34).  The  form  of  intro- 
duction not  only  sets  off  this  section  by  itself, 
but  gives  the  writer  or  final  compiler  an  air 
of  remoteness  from  the  event,  as  if  he  lived 
in  another  age.  There  is  no  sign  of  any  recog- 
nition of  this  law  in  Israel  previous  to  the  exile. 
It  certainly  was  disregarded  or  not  known  dur- 
ing seventy  sabbatical  cycles,  or  four  hundred 
and  ninety  years  previous  to  the  exile,  which 


must  have  covered  the  whole  period  of  the  mon- 
archy. The  priestly  post-exilic  author  of  the 
Chronicles  considers  the  captivity  a  judgment 
on  this  neglect  (2  Chron.  36  :  20, 21),  and  this  opin- 
ion is  apparently  shared  by  the  author  of  Leviti- 
cus himself,  who  notes  the  captivity  in  the  form 
of  a  threat  (see  26 :  34, 35) .  This  sabbath  of  the 
land  (ver.  2)  seems  to  have  been  marked  by  no 
special  religious  ceremonies  or  obligations,  but 
to  have  consisted  simply  in  letting  the  land  lie 
fallow  and  allowing  its  spontaneous  products 
to  be  used  by  all  in  common.  Only  remotely 
analogous  to  this  sabbatical  year  was  the  early 

regulation  (see  Exod.  21  :  3,  seq.  ;   Deut.  15  :  12,  seq.)  that 

the  Hebrew  servant  should  be  released  after  six 
years  of  labor.  It  was  prescribed  in  the  book 
of  the  Covenant  (Exod.  23  :  10, 11)  that  the  crop  of 
every  seventh  year — apparently  the  self-sown 
crop — should  be  left  for  the  poor,  and  after  them 
for  the  beasts.  This  fallow  year,  however,  is 
not  called  a  sabbath,  nor  is  there  any  indication 
that  all  land  was  to  lie  fallow  the  same  year. 
In  this  form  a  law  prescribing  one  year's  fallow 
in  seven  may  have  been  anciently  observed. 
But  so  long  as  the  Hebrews  were  an  agricultural 
people  with  little  trade,  in  a  land  often  severely 


Ch.  XXV.] 


LEVITICUS 


'< 


7  And  for  thy  cattle,  and  for  the  beast  that  are  in 
thy  land,  shall  all  the  increa.se  thereof  be  meat. 

8  And  thou  shalt  number  seven  sabbaths  of  years 
unto  thee,  seven  times  seven  years  ;  and  the  space 
of  the  seven  sabbaths  of  years  shall  be  unto  thee 
forty  and  nine  years. 

9  Then  shalt  thou  cause  the  trumpet  of  the  jubile 
to  sound  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  seventh  month, 
in  the  day  of  atonement  shall  ye  make  the  trumpet 
sound  throughout  all  your  land. 

10  And  ve  shall  hallow  the  fiftieth  year,  and  pro- 
claim liberty  throughout  all  the  land  unto  all  the 
inhabitants  thereof:  it  shall  be  a  jubile  unto  you  ; 
and  ye  shall  return  every  man  unto  his  possession, 
and  ye  shall  return  every  man  unto  his  family. 

11  A  jubile  shall  that  fiftieth  year  be  unto  you: 
ye  shall  not  sow,  neither  reap  that  which  groweth 
of  itself  in  it,  nor  gather  the  grapes  in  it  of  thy  vine 
undressed. 

12  For  it  is  the  jubile  ;  it  shall  be  holy  unto  you  : 
ye  shall  eat  the  increase  thereof  out  of  the  field. 

13  In  the  year  of  this  jubile  ye  shall  return  every 
man  unto  his  possession. 

14  And  if  thou  sell  ought  unto  thy  neighbour,  or 
buyest  ought  of  thy  neighbour's  hand,  ye  shall  not 
oppress  one  another : 

15  According  to  the  number  of  years  after  the 
jubile  thou  shalt  buy  of  thy  neighbour,  and  accord- 
ing unto  the  number  of  years  of  the  fruits  he  shall 
sell  unto  thee : 

16  According  to  the  multitude  of  years  thou  shalt 
increase  the  price  thereof,  and  according  to  the  few- 
ness of  years  thou  shalt  diminish  the  price  of  it: 
for  according  to  the  number  of  the  years  of  the  fruits 
doth  he  sell  unto  thee. 

17  Ye  shall  not  therefore  oppress  one  another; 
but  thou  shalt  fear  thy  God :  for  1  am  the  Lord  your 
God. 

18  Wherefore  ye  shall  do  my  statutes,  and  keep 
my  judgments,  and  do  them;  and  ye  shall  dwell 
in  the  land  in  safety. 

19  And  the  land  shall  yield  her  fruit,  and  ye  shall 
eat  your  fill,  and  dwell  therein  in  safety. 


7  that  sojourn  with  thee ;  and  for  thy  cattle,  and 
for  the  beasts  that  are  in  thy  land,  shall  all  the 
increase  thereof  be  for  food. 

8  And  thou  shalt  number  seven  sabbaths  of  years 
unto  thee,  seven  times  seven  years ;  and  there 
shall  be  unto  thee  the  days  of  seven  sabbaths  of 

9  years,  even  forty  and  nine  years.  Then  shalt 
thou  send  abroad  the  loud  trumpet  on  the  tenth 
day  of  tlie  seventh  month  ;  in  the  day  of  atone- 
ment shall  ye  send  abroad  the  trumpet  through- 

10  out  all  your  land.  And  ye  shall  hallow  the  fif- 
tieth year,  and  prvjclaim  liberty  throughout  the 
land  unto  all  tlie  inhabitants  thereof :  it  shall 
be  a  jubile  unto  you  ;  and  ye  shall  return  every 
man  unto  his  possession,  and  ye  shall  return 

11  every  man  unto  his  family,  A  jubile  shall  that 
fiftieth  year  be  unto  you:  ye  shall  not  sow, 
neither  reap  that  which  groweth  of  itself  in  it, 
nor  gather  the  grapes  in  it  of  the  undressed  vines. 

12  For  it  is  a  jubile  ;  it  shall  be  holy  unto  you :  ye 
shall  eat  the  increase  thereof  out  of  the  field. 

13  In  this  year  of  jubile  ye  shall  return  every  man 

14  unto  his  possession.  And  if  thou  sell  aught  unto 
thy  neighbour,  or  buy  of  thy  neighbour's  hand, 

15  ye  shall  not  wrong  one  another:  according  to 
the  number  of  years  after  the  jubile  thou  shalt 
buy  of  thy  neighbour,  arid  according  unto  the 
number  of  years  of  the  crops  he  shall  sell  unto 

16  thee.  According  to  the  multitude  of  the  years 
thou  shalt  increase  the  price  thereof,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  fewness  of  the  years  thou  shalt 
diminish  the  price  of  it;  for  the  number  of  the 

17  crops  doth  he  sell  unto  thee.  And  ye  shall  not 
wrong  one  another  ;  but  thou  shalt  fear  thy  God  ; 

18  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.  Wherefore  ye  shall 
do  my  statutes,  and  keep  my  judgements  and  do 
them  ;  and  ye  shall  dwell  in  the  land  in  safety. 

19  And  the  land  shall  yield  her  fruit,  and  ye  shall 


ravaged  by  famines,  a  uniform  and  simultaneous 
"sabbath  of  the  land  "  every  seventh  year  would 
probably  have  been  imi)ossible.  After  the  exile 
it  seems  to  have  been  a  recognized  observance 
(see  Josephus,  Ant.,  XI.,  8  :  6;  XIV.,  10  :  6), 
being  agreed  upon,  indeed,  by  the  returning 
exiles  in  a  formal  covenant  (Neh.  lo :  3i) ;  but  even 
then  it  was  often  productive  of  great  hardships 

(1  Mace.  6  :  49,  53  ;    Josephus,  Ant.,  XIV.,  16  :  2). 

Ver.  19-22  con.stitute  a  sequel  to  this  section 
on  the  sabbatic  year  and  interrupt  the  connec- 
tion in  their  present  position.  "The  verses 
were  probaldy  placed  where  they  now  stand  by 
the  redactor,  who  desired  their  contents  to  be 
referred  to  the  Jubilee  year  as  well  as  to  the 
sabbatical  year  "  (Driver). 

8-24.  The  year  of  Jubilee  with  its  feature  of 
release.  This  year  of  Jubilee  is  again  referred 
to  in  27  :  17-25  and  Num.  36  :  4.  These  are 
the  only  mentions  of  it  in  the  Pentateuch.  In 
Ezek.  46  :  16,  17  there  is  indication  of  a  law  by 
which  "the  prince"  could  give  to  one  of  his 
subjects  a  gift  of  real  property  belonging  to  his 
heritable  estate  only  until  "the  year  of  liberty," 
that  the  people  might  not  be  scattered  "every 
man  from  his  possession."    Aside  from  these 


G 


passages  the  Jubilee  is  not  referred  to  except 
in  this  chapter.  The  name  is  the  Hebrew  "7:3V, 
Johhel,  the  name  applied  to  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet  in  Exod.  19  :  13 ;  Josh.  6  :  5,  and  origi- 
nally meaning,  according  to  Jewish  tradition, 
a  ram  or  ram's  horn.  The  year  began  with  the 
blowing  of  the  trumpet  after  the  completion  of 
the  solemn  services  of  the  Day  of  Atonement 
(ver.  9)  and  was  to  be  a  "hallowed"  year,  its 
great  feature  being  liberty  for  all  the  land  and 
its  inhabitants,  so  that  every  man  should  return 
to  his  possession  and  to  his  family.  In  other 
respects  it  was  to  resemble  the  sabbatical  year ; 
there  was  to  be  no  sowing  or  reaping  of  that 
which  grew  of  itself,  nor  gathering  of  grapes. 
According  to  ver.  10  this  was  to  be  the  fiftieth 
year,  and  the  difficulty  of  having  two  idle  years 
for  the  land — the  seventh  sabbatical  year  or 
forty-ninth,  and  the  fiftieth — immediately  suc- 
ceeding each  other  has  led  some  to  conjecture 
that  it  may  have  been  so  reckoned  as  to  make  it 
coincide  with  the  seventh  sabbatical  year. 

The  price  of  all  land  sold  was  to  be  regulated 
according  to  the  number  of  years  yet  to  elapse 
before  the  Jubilee,  as  the  property  sold  was 
strictly  only  the  crops  (ver.  i6),  the  theory  being 


98 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXV. 


20  And  if  ye  shall  say,  What  shall  we  eat  the 
seveuth  year?  behold,  we  shall  not  sow,  nor  gather 
in  our  increase : 

21  Then  1  will  command  my  blessing  upon  you 
in  the  sixth  year,  and  it  shall  bring  forth  fruit  for 

three  years.  .        .   ,  .,  ^      *     , 

22  And  ye  shall  sow  the  eighth  year,  and  eat  yet 
of  old  fruit  until  the  ninth  year;  until  her  fruits 
come  in  ye  shall  eat  of  the  old  dare. 

23  The  land  shall  not  be  sold  for  ever :  for  the 
land  is  mine;  for  ye  are  strangers  and  sojourners 
with  me.  ,  ,     ,, 

24  And  in  all  the  land  of  your  possession  ye  shall 
grant  a  redemption  for  the  land. 

2;')  If  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor,  and  hath  sold 
away  some  of  his  possession,  and  if  any  of  his  kin 
come  to  redeem  it,  then  shall  he  redeem  that  which 
his  brother  sold.  . 

26  And  if  the  man  have  none  to  redeem  it,  and 
himself  be  able  to  redeem  it ; 

27  Then  let  him  count  the  years  of  the  sale  there- 
of, and  restore  the  overplus  unto  the  man  to  whom 
he  sold  it;  that  he  may  return  unto  his  possession. 

28  But  if  he  be  not  able  to  restore  it  to  him,  then 
that  which  is  sold  siiall  remain  in  the  hand  of  him 
that  hatli  bought  it  until  tiie  year  of  jubile  :  and  in 
tiic  jubile  it  shall  go  out,  and  lie  shall  return  unto 
hi.s  p()>!5ession. 

2a  And  if  a  man  sell  a  dwelling  house  in  a  walled 
city,  then  he  may  redeem  it  within  a  whole  year 
after  it  IS  sold  ;  within  a  full  year  may  he  redeem  it. 

30  And  if  it  be  not  redeeuied  within  the  space  of 
a  full  year,  then  the  house  that  is  in  the  walled  city 
shall  be  established  forever  to  Ijim  that  bought  it 
throughout  his  generations:  it  shall  n  t  go  out  in 
the  jubile. 


20  eat  your  fill,  and  dwell  therein  in  safety.  And 
if  ye  shall  say,  What  shall  we  eat  the  seventh 
year?  behold,  we  shall  not  sow,  nor  gather  in 

21  our  increase  :  then  I  will  command  my  blessing 
upon  you  in  the  sixth  year,  and  it  shall  bring 

22  forth  fruit  for  the  three  years.  And  ye  shall  sow 
the  eighth  year,  and  eat  of  the  fruits,  the  old 
store  ;  until  the  ninth  year,  until  her  fruits  come 

23  in,  ye  shall  eat  the  old  store.  And  the  land 
shall  not  be  sold  in  perpetuity  •  for  the  land  is 
mine  :  for  ye  are  strangers  ana  sojourners  with 

24  me.  And  in  all  the  land  of  your  possession  ye 
shall  grant  a  redemption  for  the  land. 

25  If  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor,  and  sell  some 
of  his  possession,  then  shall  his  kinsman  that  is 
next  unto  him  come,  and  shall  redeem  that 

26  which  his  brother  hath  sold.  And  if  a  man 
have  no  one  to  redeem  it,  and  he  be  waxen 

27  rich  and  find  sufficient  to  redeem  it ;  then  let 
him  count  the  years  of  the  sale  thereof,  and  re- 
store the  overplus  unto  the  man  to  whom  he 
sold  it ;  and  he  shall  return  unto  his  possession. 

28  But  if  he  be  not  able  to  get  it  back  for  himself, 
then  that  which  he  hath  sold  shall  remain  in 
the  hand  of  him  that  hath  bought  it  until  the 
year  of  jubile  :  and  in  the  jubile  it  shall  go  out, 
and  he  shall  leturn  unto  his  possession. 

29  And  if  a  man  sell  a  dwelling  house  in  a  walled 
city,  then  he  may  redeem  it  within  a  whole  year 
after  it  is  sold  ;  for  a  full  year  shall  he  have  the 

30  right  of  redemption.  And  if  it  be  not  redeemed 
within  the  space  of  a  full  year,  then  the  house 
that  is  in  the  walled  city  shall  be  made  sure  in 
perpetuity  to  him  that  bought  it,  throughout  his 
generations:  it  shall  not  go  out  in  the  jubile. 


that  the  tenure  of  land  was  only  a  life  tenancy 
with  Jehovah  as  owner  (ver.  23)  and  therefore 
the  land  could  not  be  sold  in  perpetuity.  At 
the  end  of  every  Jubilee  period  the  land  was 
to  revert  to  the  families  among  whom  it  was 
originally  divided  by  lot  (nu™.  26  :  52-56;  33  :  54). 

"  The  comparative  study  of  institutions  shows 
what  very  different  systems  of  land  tenure  exist 
in  different  ages  and  in  different  countries. 
Rights  of  individual  ownership  are  sometimes 
not  recognized  at  all,  sometimes  recognized  only 
with  limitations.  Often  the  periodical  redistri- 
bution of  the  land  of  a  community  is  an  imme- 
morial custom.  .  .  Aristotle  mentions  a  law 
among  the  Locrians  restraining  the  sale  of  land 
and  tending  to  keep  the  lots  of  land  of  equal 
size  (Pol.,  2  :  7;  qf.  2  :  9  for  Philolaus  and  the 
Tliebans).  According  to  Strabo,  among  the  Dal- 
matians a  fresh  distribution  of  land  took  place 
every  eight  years.  We  may  compare  also  the 
early  system  of  land  tenure  known  as  the  shift- 
ing severalty ,  of  which  traces  are  found  in  many 
Aryan  nations  (Maine,  'Village  Communities,' 
p.  81,  seq.).  Under  this  system  the  communal 
land  was  periodically  redistributed  in  equal  por- 
tions among  the  heads  of  families  of  a  tribe  or  a 
township"  (Driver). 

25-28.  The  privilege  of  redemption.  It  is 
noticeable  tliat  no  one  appears  to  have  been 
expected  to  part  with  his  land  except  under  the 
pressure  of  poverty.    It  was  no  doubt  a  matter 


of  sentiment  to  keep  the  inheritance  intact  if 
possible  (cf.  1  Kings  21  :  3).  All  land  seems  to 
have  been  bought  subject  to  the  right  of  redemp- 
tion ;  the  buyer  was  apparently  obliged  to  sell, 
however  much  he  might  wish  to  retain  the 
land  till  the  Jubilee,  if  the  price  of  redemption 
was  tendered  him.  This  is  probably  the  mean- 
ing of  ver.  24.  The  phrase  any  of  his  kin 
(ver.  25)  is  ouly  a  derived  meaning  of  the  Hebrew 
word.  The  primary  meaning  is  /^JJ,  go'el,  or  re- 
deemer. The  go'el  was  the  one  to  whom  per- 
tained the  right  of  delivering,  or  ransoming,  the 
person,  or  perpetuating  his  family  by  marrying 
the  widow.  In  the  case  of  homicide  the  mur- 
dered person's  go^el  was  called  the  DTH  /XJ, 
go'el  haddam,  or  avenger  of  blood,  and  it  w^as 
his  duty  to  demand  hack  the  blood  of  the  person, 
or  vindicate  him.  It  is  this  term  that  Job  uses 
when  he  says,  "  I  know  that  my  Eedeemer  liv- 
eth"  (Job  19  :  25).  Of  coursc,  as  this  right  pri- 
marily inhered  in  the  next  of  kin,  the  term 
came  to  have  the  derived  signification  of  the 
nearest  relative. 

29-34.  Its  application  to  cities  and  villages. 
Houses  that  were  sold  in  walled  cities  remained 
subject  to  the  right  of  redemption  for  a  full 
year ;  after  that  not  even  the  Jubilee  could  re- 
store them  to  their  original  possessor.  This  is 
the  only  case  of  perpetual  possession  that  is 
possible  under  the  terms  of  this  chapter.  30. 
The  word  translated  for  ever,  or  inperpetuity, 


Ch.  XXV.] 


LEVITICUS 


99 


31  But  the  houses  of  the  villages  which  have  no 
wall  round  about  them  shall  be  counted  as  the 
fields  of  the  country  :  they  may  be  redeemed,  and 
they  shall  go  out  in  the  jubile. 

32  Notwithstanding  the  cities  of  the  Levites,  and 
the  houses  of  the  cities  of  their  possession,  may  tlie 
Levites  redeem  at  any  time. 

33  And  if  a  man  purchase  of  the  Levites,  then 
the  house  that  was  sold,  and  the  city  of  his  posses- 
sion, shall  go  out  in  i/te  year  o/ jubile  :  for  the  houses 
of  the  cities  of  the  Levites  are  their  possession 
among  the  children  of  Israel. 

34  But  the  field  of  the  suburbs  of  their  cities  may 
not  be  sold  ;  for  it  in  their  perpetual  possession. 

35  And  if  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor,  and  fallen 
in  decay  with  thee;  then  tliou  shalt  relieve  him: 
yea,  though  he  be  a  stranger,  or  a  sojourner  ;  tliat  he 
may  live  with  thee. 

3G  Take  thou  no  usury  of  him,  or  increase :  but 
fear  thy  God  ;  tliat  thy  brother  may  live  with  thee. 

37  Tliou  shalt  not  give  him  thy  money  upon 
usury,  nor  lend  him  thy  victuals  for  increase. 

38  I  a»i  tlie  Lord  your  God,  which  brought  you 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  give  you  the  land 
of  Canaan,  a)ui  to  be  your  God. 

39  And  if  thy  l:)rother  that  dwelleth  by  thee  be 
waxen  poor,  and  be  sold  unto  thee  ;  thou  shalt  not 
compel  him  to  serve  as  a  bondservant; 

40  But  as  an  hired  servant,  and  as  a  sojourner,  he 
shall  be  with  thee,  and  shall  serve  thee  unto  the 
year  of  jubile : 

41  And  i/ie?i  shall  he  depart  from  thee,  both  he  and 
his  cluldren  with  him,  and  shall  return  unto  his 
own  family,  and  unto  the  possession  of  his  lathers 
shall  he  return. 


31  But  the  houses  of  the  villages  which  have  no 
wall  round  about  them  shall  be  reckoned  with 
the  fields  of  the  country  :  they  may  be  redeemed, 

32  and  they  shall  go  out  in  the  jubile.  Neverthe- 
less the  cities  of  the  Levites,  the  houses  of  the 
cities  of  their  possession,  may  the  Levites  re- 

33  deem  at  any  time.  And  if  one  of  the  Levites 
redeem,  tlien  the  house  that  was  sold,  and  the 
city  of  his  possession,  shall  go  out  in  the  jubile : 
for  tlie  houses  of  the  cities  of  the  Levites  are 
their  possession  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

34  But  tlie  field  of  the  suburbs  of  their  cities  may 
not  be  sold  ;  for  it  is  their  perpetual  possession. 

35  And  if  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor,  and  his 
hand  fail  with  thee ;  then  tliou  shalt  uphold 
him  :  as  a  stranger  and  a  sojourner  shall  lie  live 

36  with  thee.  Take  thou  no  usury  of  him  or  in- 
crease ;  but  fear  thy  God  :  that  thy  brother  may 

37  live  with  thee.  Thou  shalt  not  give  him  tliy 
money  upon  usury,  nur  give  him  thy  victuals  for 

38  increase.  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which 
brought  you  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to 
give  you  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  be  your  God. 

39  And  if  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor  with  tliee, 
and  .sell  himself  unto  thee  ;  thou  shalt  not  make 

40  him  to  serve  as  a  bondservant :  as  an  hired  serv- 
ant, and  as  a  sojourner,  he  shall  be  with  thee  ; 
he  shall  serve  with  thee  until  the  year  of  jubile  : 

41  then  shall  he  go  out  from  thee,  he  and  his  chil- 
dren with  him,  and  shall  return  unto  his  own 
family,  and  unto  the  possession  of  his  fathers 


occurs  only  in  that  verse  and  in  ver.  23,  where 
the  right  is  denied.  Tlie  villages  were  aggre- 
gations of  farm  buildings  and  cottages  attached 
to  contiguous  estates  and  grouped  together  for 
greater  security.  These  were,  therefore,  under 
the  same  conditions  of  redemption  as  the  farms 
themselves.  The  Levitical  cities  enjoyed  a  per- 
petual right  of  redemption  (see  ver.  32)  like  the 
allotted  estates  of  the  tribes.  33.  And  if  a 
man  purchase  of  the  Levites,  rather,  if  one 
of  the  Levites  redeem,  as  in  R.  V.  Even  this  ren- 
dering represents  an  imperfect  text ;  probably  a 
not  ought  to  be  inserted  after  the  word  ' '  redeem," 
as  is  done  in  the  Vulgate  (see  Margin,  R.  V.). 
The  house  . . .  and  the  city  of  his  posses- 
sion appears  to  be  a  hendiadys  for  the  house  in 
the  city  of  his  possession,  the  meaning  being  that 
if  the  house  sold  belonged  to  one  of  the  Levitical 
cities,  and  was  not  a  house  that  the  Levite  pos- 
sessed in  some  other  place,  it  should  return  to 
him  without  compensation  at  the  Jubilee.  As 
to  the  pastures  about  the  Levitical  cities  and 
belonging  to  them  (ver.  34),  these  could  not  be 
alienated  at  all.  For  the  legislation  regarding 
the  institution  of  Levitical  cities,  see  Num.  35. 
It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  term  Levites  used 
in  this  section  (ver.  32,  33)  has  not  before  been 
used  or  defined  in  the  book,  a  fact  which  some 
critics  take  as  evidence  of  a  later  insertion. 

35-38.  Warning  against  oppression.  The 
construction  of  the  latter  part  of  ver.  35  in  the 
Hebrew  is  somewhat  awkward.     It  literally 


reads.  Thou  shalt  lay  hold  of  him  a  stranger  and 
a  sojourner,  and  he  shall  live  with  thee.  The 
Revised  version  probably  comes  as  near  as 
practicable  to  the  sense.  The  purport  of  the 
regulation  appears  to  be,  that  the  Israelite  who 
had  become  so  poor  as  to  sell  his  land  was  not 
to  be  treated  as  an  outcast ;  he  was  rather  to  be 
considered  as  having  the  same  standing  and 
consideration  as  a  resident  foreigner,  who  was 
also  debarred  from  holding  land.  The  practice 
of  taking  advantage  of  the  brother's  necessity 
to  exact  usury  or  increase  is  strongly  condemned. 
Deuteronomy  also  forbids  the  lending  upon 
usury  to  one  of  the  Israelitish  nation,  but  per- 
mits it  in  dealing  with  foreigners  (Deut.  23 :  19, 20). 
It  was  the  well-nigh  universal  habit  in  ancient 
times  to  look  upon  a  loan  as  an  act  of  help  or 
relief,  rather  than  as  a  commercial  transaction, 
and  hence  usury  or  interest  appeared  as  oppres- 
sion or  illegitimate  gain  (cf.  Ps.  15  :  5;  Kzek.  18  :  8). 
39-46.  Of  the  holdirig  of  hondmen  by 
Hebrews.  This  law  with  reference  to  the  hold- 
ing of  slaves  differs  very  materially  from  that 
given  in  the  earlier  book  of  the  Covenant  (Kxod. 
21  :  2,  seq.)  and  also  from  the  legislation  in 
Deuteronomy  (Deut.  15  :  12,  seq.).  According  to 
those  passages  the  Hebrew  bondman  (Exod.)  or 
bondwoman  (Deut.)  was  to  be  released  after 
seven  years  of  service  unless  he  or  she  expressed 
a  preference  for  a  perpetual  servitude,  for  which 
a  special  legal  form  was  provided.  By  the  law 
in  this  place  an  Israelite  who  is  so  impoverished 


100 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXV. 


42  For  they  are  my  servants,  which  I  brought 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt :  they  shall  not  be 
sold  as  boudmen. 

43  Thou  Shalt  not  rule  over  him  with  rigour  ;  but 

Shalt  fear  thy  God.  ,   ,     ^      ^       ■  ^        i  •   u 

44  Both  thy  bondmen,  and  thy  bondmaids,  which 
thou  Shalt  liave,  skull  be  of  the  heathen  that  are 
round  about  you ;  of  them  shall  ye  buy  bondmen 
and  bondmaids.  .    ,       ,  ^,    i. 

45  Moreover  of  the  children  of  the  strangers  that 
do  sojourn  among  you,  of  them  shall  ye  buy,  and 
of  their  families  that  are  with  you,  which  they 
begat  in  your  land  :  and  they  shall  be  your  posses- 

4G  And  ye  shall  take  them  as  an  inheritance  for 
your  children  after  you,  to  inherit  them  for  a  pos- 
session ;  they  shall  be  your  bondmen  for  ever :  but 
over  your  brethren  the  children  of  Israel,  ye  shall 
not  rule  one  over  another  with  rigour. 


42  shall  he  return.  For  they  are  my  servants, 
which  I  brought  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt: 

43  they  .shall  not  be  sold  as  bondmen.  Thou  shalt 
not  rule  over  him  with  rigour ;  but  shalt  fear 

44  thy  God.  And  as  for  thy  bondmen,  and  thy 
bondmaids,  which  thou  shalt  have  ;  of  the  na- 
tions that  are  round  about  you,  of  them  shall  ye 

45  buy  bondmen  and  bondmaids.  Moreover  of  the 
children  of  the  strangers  that  do  sojourn  among 
you,  of  them  shall  ye  buy,  and  of  their  families 
that  are  with  you,  which  they  have  begotten  in 
your  land :  and  they  shall  be  your  possession. 

46  And  ye  shall  make  them  an  inheritance  for  your 
children  after  you,  to  hold  for  a  possession  ;  of 
them  shall  ye  take  your  bondmen  for  ever  :  but 
over  your  brethren  the  children  of  Israel  ye  shall 
not  rule,  one  over  another,  with  rigour. 


as  to  sell  himself  into  slavery  is  to  be  treated 
humanely  as  a  hired  servant,  and  is  to  be  re- 
leased at  the  Jubilee  ;  while  perpetual  bondmen 
or  bondwomen  may  be  had  only  of  foreigners. 
The  mitigation  here  prescribed  of  the  harshness 
attending  bond-service  consists  therefore  only  in 
humane  treatment  rather  than  in  the  brevity  of 
the  term,  while  the  period  of  servitude  may  ex- 
tend to  fifty  years.  The  method  of  harmonizing 
this  law  with  the  earlier  ones  has  been  to  make 
this  Jubilee  law  presuppose  the  system  of  release 
every  seven  years,  and  mean  that  the  Hebrew 
slave  could  claim  his  freedom  at  the  year  of 
Jubilee  even  though  it  happened  to  fall  in  an 
uncompleted  septennial  term  of  service.  But 
the  legislation  neither  in  Exodus  nor  in  Deut- 
eronomy betrays  any  knowledge  on  the  law- 
giver's part  of  the  existence  of  this  Jubilee,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  divergent  laws  could 
all  have  been  in  operation  at  the  same  time. 
Experience  at  the  time  of  Zedekiah  (Jer.  34 :  s-ie) 
showed  that  the  Deuteronomic  law  could  not 
easily  be  enforced,  and  modern  critics  have 
reasoned  that  this  system  of  manumission  of 
slaves  at  the  Jubilee,  now  appearing  in  Leviticus, 
was  instituted  after  that  difficulty  had  become 
apparent.  While  the  Jubilee,  so  far  as  concerned 
the  ownership  of  land,  may  not  have  been  a 
mere  paper  law  or  theoretical  completion  of  the 
system  of  seven,  as  some  have  maintained,  yet 
its  extension  to  the  manumission  of  slaves  may 
liave  dated  from  a  time  subsequent  to  the  dis- 
covery that,  as  Hebrew  society  advanced,  the 
law  enjoining  only  a  short  term  of  enslavement 
was  found  impracticable. 

To  say  that  the  institution  of  slavery  was 
recognized  and  used  by  the  ancient  people  of 
Israel  is  but  to  say  that  the  nation  was  not 
wholly  detached  from  the  universal  ideals  and 
social  canons  of  their  time.  They  found  the 
practice  of  holding  slaves  as  a  part  of  the  uni- 
versal industrial  system,  coming  down  unques- 


tioned from  the  remotest  antiquity,  and  their 
institutions  were  so  framed  as  to  afibrd  the  wisest 
mitigation  of  the  practice.  To  have  put  a  stop 
to  the  immemorial  custom  at  a  given  signal,  and 
without  preparation  and  education,  would  have 
been  contrary  to  all  the  methods  by  wdiich  suc- 
cessful changes  have  been  produced  in  society. 
As  it  was,  it  seems  that  legislation  outstripped 
the  possible  pace  of  the  people,  so  that  a  modi- 
fication was  found  necessary  by  the  time  the 
priestly  legislation  was  codified.  The  two  great 
motives  which  were  found  workable  for  mitiga- 
ting the  harshness  of  slavery  wxre  brotherhood 
in  an  exalted  nationality  and  memory  of  past 
bondage  as  a  personal  experience.  The  Hebrew 
was  not  remanded  to  slavery  except  as  a  resource 
to  which  he  was  willing  to  resort  in  order  to 
fulfill  his  obligations.  No  doubt  in  the  imper- 
fect state  of  Jewish  society  the  poor  were  often 
forced  into  this  condition  by  harsh  creditors  (see 
2  Kings  4:1;  Neh.  5  :  3-5),  but  tliis  was  far  different 
from  systematically  constituting  a  market  of 
Hebrew  slaves  and  drawing  on  it  for  the  labor 
supply.  This  was  forbidden,  and  no  doubt  the 
prohibition  was  measurably  successful.  At  the 
same  time  the  term  of  bondage  was  limited,  so 
that  a  hereditary  slave  class  became  impossible. 
Then  underlying  all  the  prescribed  treatment  of 
the  Hebrew  servant,  as  a  motive  for  forbearance 
from  unduly  degrading  or  abusing  him,  and  for 
extending  to  him  the  benefit  of  the  sabbath  rest, 
w^as  the  consideration,  "  He  is  thy  brother,"  and 
"Thou  wast  a  slave  in  the  land  of  Egypt." 
There  was  thus  a  constant  appeal  to  tlie  higher 
nature,  and  a  bringing  to  bear  of  the  most 
humanizing  motives  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances. All  this  tended  to  make  slavery  in 
Israel  far  different  from  the  helpless  and  hoj)e- 
less  condition  which  it  was  in  Roman  society, 
or  even  in  more  modern  times  among  the  Negroes 
of  North  America. 
While  these  humanizing  motives  in  ancient 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


LEVITICUS 


101 


47  And  if  a  sojourner  or  stranger  wax  rich  by 
thee,  and  thy  brotlier  that  dwelleth  by  liim  wax  poor, 
and  sell  himself  unto  the  stranger  or  .sojourner  by 
thee,  or  to  the  stock  of  the  stranger's  family  : 

48  After  that  he  is  sold  he  may  be  redeemed 
again  ;  one  of  his  brethren  may  redeem  him  : 

49  Either  his  unele,  or  his  uncle's  son,  may  re- 
deem him,  or  any  that  is  nigh  of  kin  unto  him  of 
his  family  may  redeem  him ;  or  if  he  be  able,  he 
may  redeem  himself. 

50  And  he  shall  reckon  with  him  that  bought 
him  from  the  year  that  he  was  sold  to  him  unto  the 
year  of  jubile:  and  the  price  of  his  sale  shall  be 
according  unto  the  number  of  years,  according  to 
the  time  of  an  hired  servant  shall  it  be  with  him. 

51  If  there  be  yet  many  years  behind,  according 
unto  them  he  shall  give  again  the  price  of  his  re- 
demption out  of  the  money  that  he  was  bought  for. 

52  And  if  there  remain  but  few  years  unto  the 
year  of  jubile,  then  he  shall  count  with  him,  and 
according  unto  his  years  shall  he  give  him  again 
the  price  of  his  redemption. 

53  And  as  a  yearly  hired  servant  shall  he  be  with 
him:  and  the  other  shall  not  rule  with  rigour  over 
him  in  thy  sight. 

54  And  if  he  be  not  redeemed  in  these  years,  then 
he  shall  go  out  in  the  year  of  jubile,  both  he,  and 
his  children  with  him. 

55  For  unto  me  the  children  of  Israel  are  serv- 
ants ;  they  are  my  servants  whom  I  brought  forth 
out  of  the  laud  of  Egypt :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


47  And  if  a  stranger  or  sojourner  with  thee  be 
waxen  rich,  and  thy  brother  be  waxen  poor  be- 
side him,  and  sell  himself  unto  the  stranger  or 
sojourner  with  thee,  or  to  the  stock  of  the  stran- 

48  ger's  family  :  after  that  he  is  sold  he  may  be  re- 
deemed ;  one  of  his  brethren  may  redeem  him  : 

49  or  his  uncle,  or  his  uncle's  son,  may  redeem  him, 
or  any  that  is  nigh  of  kin  unto  him  of  his  family 
may  redeem  him  ;  or  if  he  be  waxen  rich,  he 

50  may  redeem  himself.  And  he  shall  reckon  with 
him  that  bought  him  from  the  year  that  he  sold 
himself  to  him  unto  the  year  of  jubile  :  and  the 
price  of  his  sale  shall  be  according  unto  the 
number  of  years;  according  to  the  time  of  an 

51  hired  servant  shall  he  be  with  him.  If  there  be 
yet  many  years,  according  unto  them  he  shall 
give  back  the  price  of  his  redemption  out  of  the 

52  money  that  he  was  bought  for.  And  if  there 
remain  but  few  years  unto  the  year  of  jubile, 
then  he  shall  reckon  with  him  ;  according  unto 
his  years  shall  he  give  back  the  price  of  his  re- 

53  demption.  As  a  servant  hired  year  by  year  shall 
he  be  with  him :  he  shall  not  rule  with  rigour 

54  over  him  in  thy  sight.  And  if  he  be  not  re- 
deemed by  these  means,  then  he  shall  go  out  in 
the  year  of  jubile,  he,  and  his  children  with  him. 

55  For  unto  me  the  children  of  Israel  are  servants  ; 
they  are  my  servants  whom  I  brought  forth  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt :  1  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


times  were  operative  only  in  the  Hebrew's  deal- 
ings with  his  brethren,  and  did  not  inure  to  the 
benefit  of  foreign  slaves,  they  are  nevertheless 
the  same  motives  which,  extended  and  spiritual- 
ized, have  after  long  ages  of  silent  working 
finally  prevailed  to  banish  slavery  as  an  institu- 
tion from  Christian  society.  They  must  first 
become  strong  enough  to  affect  human  selfish- 
ness on  the  limited  stage  of  a  chosen  nation  before 
they  could  attack  the  entrenched  wrong  on  the 
wider  field  of  humanity.  The  old  Hebrew 
brotherhood  in  a  common  nationality  has  under 
the  working  of  the  spirit  of  Christ  broadened 
into  the  brotherhood  of  humanity ;  and  the 
emancipation  from  bitter  bondage  which  now 
serves  even  more  efficiently  as  a  humanizing  in- 
spiration than  did  the  memory  of  the  deliverance 
from  Egypt  is  the  common  salvation  in  Jesus 
Christ  which  is  the  hope  of  the  world.  No  man 
in  whom  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has 
had  its  legitimate  effect  can  any  longer  find  it 
in  his  heart  to  oppress  his  brother,  of  whatever 
race,  or  deprive  him  of  that  gift  Avhich  a  com- 
mon consciousness  of  a  divine  sonship  has  caused 
to  be  preeminently  valued  in  modern  times — 
the  gift  of  liberty. 

47-55.  On  the  holding  of  bondmen  by  for- 
eigners. In  the  case  of  bondage  to  a  resident 
foreigner  emphasis  is  placed  on  the  principle 
that  through  all  the  period  of  servitude  the  right 
of  redemption  is  in  existence,  and  must  be  al- 
lowed if  the  slave  finds  a  kinsman  who  will  re- 
deem him  or  comes  into  the  possession  of  prop- 
erty for  hi^  own  redemption.    The  price  is  to  be 


regulated  according  to  the  time,  reckoned  at  the 
current  wages  of  hired  labor,  still  to  elapse 
before  the  Jubilee.  The  Hebrew  must  not  allow 
his  kinsman  to  be  harshly  enslaved  and  cruelly 
worked  in  his  sight.  If  none  of  the  prescribed 
means  of  redemption  are  found,  the  bondman 
becomes  free  w'ithout  compensation  in  the  Jubi- 
lee. The  general  basis  for  all  these  laws  of  free- 
dom is  the  inspiring  truth  that,  as  the  land  is 
Jehovah's  (ver.  23) ^  so  also  the  children  of  Israel 
are  Jehovah's  own  servants  and  therefore  can- 
not pass  into  the  absolute  control  of  any  other 
owner.  The  influence  of  this  feeling  on  the 
Jewish  Christian  consciousness  is  seen  in  Eom. 
14:4. 

"  So  much  for  the  Levitical  law ;  as  regards 
its  observance  the  evidence  of  history  is  not 
voluminous,  but  Jer.  34  :  14  seems  to  show  con- 
clusively that  in  his  time  at  least  the  law 
acknowledged  by  the  prophets  was  that  de- 
scribed in  Deut.  15,  according  to  which  the 
rights  of  Hebrew  slaveholders  over  their  com- 
patriots were  invariably  to  cease  seven  years 
after  they  had  been  acquired.  After  the  exile 
the  law  of  Lev.  25  was  also  certainly  disre- 
garded ;  the  Talmudists  and  rabbins  are  unan- 
imous that  although  the  Jubilee  years  were 
'reckoned'  they  were  not  observed"  ("Encyc. 
Brit.,"  XIIL,  759). 


Chap.  26.  Hortatory  conclusion.  1, 

2.  Prohibition  of  idolatry  and  injunction  to 
keep  the  Sabbath.  These  verses  are  connected 
with  the  preceding  chapter  in  the  Hebrew  Bible, 


102 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


1  YE  shall  make  you  no  idols  nor  graven  image, 
neither  rear  you  up  a  standing  image,  neither  shall 
ye  set  up  any  image  of  stone  in  your  land,  to  bow 
down  unto  it :  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

2  Ye  shall  keep  my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

3  If  ye  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  keep  my  com- 
mandments, and  do  them ; 

4  Then  I  will  give  you  rain  in  due  season,  and 
the  land  shall  yield  her  increase,  and  the  trees  of 
the  field  shall  yield  their  fruit. 

5  And  your  threshing  shall  reach  unto  the  vin- 
tage, and  the  vintage  shall  reach  unto  the  sowing 
time  :  and  ye  shall  eat  your  bread  to  the  full,  and 
dwell  in  your  land  safely. 

C  And  I  will  give  peace  in  the  land,  and  ye  shall 
lie  down,  and  none  shall  make  you  afraid  :  and  I 
will  rid  evil  beasts  out  of  the  laud,  neither  shall 
the  sword  go  through  your  land. 

7  And  ye  shall  chase  your  enemies,  and  they 
shall  fall  before  you  by  the  sword. 

8  And  five  of  you  shall  chase  an  hundred,  and 
an  hundred  of  you  shall  put  ten  thousand  to  flight: 
and  your  enemies  shall  fall  before  you  by  the  sword. 

9  Kor  I  will  have  respect  unto  you,  and  make 
you  fruitful,  and  multiply  you,  and  establish  my 
covenant  with  you. 

10  And  ye  shall  eat  old  store,  and  bring  forth  the 
old  because  of  the  new. 

11  And  I  will  set  my  tabernacle  among  you :  and 
my  soul  shall  not  abhor  you. 

i2  And  I  will  walk  among  you,  and  will  be  your 
God,  and  ye  shall  be  my  people. 

13  I  ain  the  Lord  your  God,  which  brought  you 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  that  ye  should  not 
be  tlieir  bondmen  ;  and  I  have  broken  the  bands  of 
your  yoke,  and  made  you  go  upright. 

14  But  if  ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me,  and  will 
not  do  all  these  commandments  ; 

15  And  if  ye  shall  despise  my  statutes,  or  if 
your  soul  abhor  my  judgments,  so  that  ye  will 
not  do  all  my  commandments,  but  that  ye  break  my 
covenant : 


1  YE  shall  make  you  no  idols,  neither  shall  ye 
rear  you  up  a  graven  image,  or  a  pillar,  neither 
shall  ye  place  any  figured  stone  in  your  land,  to 
bow  down  unto  it :  for  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 

2  Ye  shall  keep  my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

3  If  ye  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  keep  my  com- 

4  mandments,  and  do  them  ;  then  I  will  give  your 
rains  in  their  season,  and  the  land  shall  yield, 
her  increase,  and  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  yield. 

5  their  fruit.  And  your  threshing  shall  reach  unto 
the  vintage,  and  the  vintage  shall  reach  unto 
the  sowing  time  :  and  ye  shall  eat  your  bread  to 

6  the  full,  and  dwell  in  your  land  safely.  And  I 
will  give  peace  in  the  land,  and  ye  shall  lie 
down,  and  none  shall  make  you  afraid :  and  I 
will  cause  evil  beasts  to  cease  out  of  the  land, 
neither  shall  the  sword  go  through  your  land. 

7  And  ye  shall  chase  your  enemies,  and  they  shall 

8  fall  before  you  by  the  sword.  And  five  of  you 
shall  chase  an  hundred,  and  an  hundred  of  you 
shall  chase  ten  thousand :   and  your  enemies 

9  shall  fall  before  you  by  the  sword.  And  I  will 
have  respect  unto  you,  and  make  you  fruitful, 
and  multiply  you ;  and  will  establish  my  cove- 

10  nant  with  you.  And  ye  shall  eat  old  store  long 
kept,  and  ye  shall  bring  forth  the  old  because 

11  of  the  new.    And  I  will  set  my  tabernacle  among 

12  you  :  and  my  soul  shall  not  abhor  you.  And  I 
will  walk  among  you,  and  will  be  your  God,  and 

13  ye  shall  be  my  people.  I  am  the  Lord  your  God, 
which  brought  you  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  that  ye  should  not  be  their  bondmen  ; 
and  I  have  broken  the  bars  of  your  yoke,  and 
made  you  go  upright. 

14  But  if  ye  will  not  hearken  unto  me,  and  will 
16  not  do  all  these  commandments  ;  and  if  ye  shall 

reject  my  statutes,  and  if  your  soul  abhor  my 
judgements,  so  that  ye  will  not  do  all  my  com- 


but  they  do  not  form  a  very  close  connection 
either  with  that  or  with  the  present  chapter. 
They  form  a  section  by  themselves. 

1.  Idols,  lit.,  things  of  nought  (cf.  i  Cor.  8  :  i). 
Standing  image,  rather,  pillar,  as  in  E,.  V., 
and  image  of  stone,  or  rsither,  figured  stone 
(R.  v.),  i-efer  to  obelisks  or  symbolical  monu- 
ments which  might  in  any  way  minister  to  the 
ever-besetting  temptation  in  Palestine  to  the 
worship  of  idols.  The  latter  term  is  found  only 
bore.  To  bow  doAvn  unto  it  restricts  the 
prohibition.  Do  not  erect  these  memorials  for 
idolatrous  purposes.  Ver.  2  is  repeated  from 
19  :  30. 

3-13.  Hortatory  conclusion  to  the  Law  of 
Holiness :  Blessings  promised  for  obedience. 
These  promises  and  threatenings  are  to  be  com- 
pared with  those  at  the  conclusion  of  the  book 
of  the  Covenant  (Exod.  23 :  20-33)  and  of  the  Deu- 
teronomic  code  (neut.  28).  As  is  characteristic 
of  the  Law  of  Holiness,  the  blessings  upon  the 
land  and  agriculture  are  mode  emphatic  as  a 
religious  incentive.  For  faithfulness  in  keep- 
ing Jehovah's  statutes  and  commandments  there 


are  promised  abundant  seasons  with  continuous 
ingathering  (ver.  4,  5),  peace  and  security  (ver.  5, 6), 
prowess  in  war  (ver.  7,  8),  populousness,  and 
abundance  of  provision  (ver.  9,  10) ^  God's  .sanctu- 
ary among  them  and  the  continuance  of  his  favor 
(ver.  11, 12).  The  whole  concludes  with  the  ex- 
pression characteristic  of  the  Law  of  Holiness, 
"I  am  Jehovah  your  God,"  and  with  a  refer- 
ence to  the  deliverance  from  Egypt  and  its 
bondage. 

There  are  many  striking  resemblances  in  this 
passage  to  Ezekiel — too  striking  to  be  altogether 

accidental  (comp.  ver.  4  with  Ezek.  34  :  26,  27  ;  ver.  6  with 
Ezek.  34  :  25  ;   ver.  11  with  Ezek.  37  :  26,  27),  but  which  is 

the  superior  in  point  of  originality  it  is  impos- 
sible to  determine.  Somewhat  striking  simi- 
larities between  Joel  2  :  22-27  and  this  section 
have  also  been  noted.  My  tabernacle  (ver.  ii) 
should  rather  be,  my  sanctuary,  or  divelling- 
place,  whether  a  tent  or  a  temple. 

14-33.  The  five  warnings  for  disobedience. 
The  first  warning  (ver.  14-18)  threatens  a  phys- 
ical debility  that  shall  break  their  spirit  and 
bring  them  under  the  fear  and  oppression  of 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


LEVITICUS 


103 


16  I  also  will  do  this  unto  you  ;  I  will  even  ap- 
point over  you  terror,  consumption,  and  the  burn- 
ing ague,  that  shall  consume  the  eyes,  and  cause 
sorrow  of  heart :  and  ye  shall  sow  your  seed  in 
vain,  for  your  enemies  shall  eat  it. 

17  And  I  will  set  my  face  against  you,  and  ye 
shall  be  slain  before  your  enemies:  they  that  hate 
you  shall  reign  over  you ;  and  ye  shall  flee  when 
none  pursueth  you. 

18  And  if  ye  will  not  yet  for  all  this  hearken  unto 
me,  then  I  will  punish  you  seven  times  more  for 
your  sins. 

19  And  I  will  break  the  pride  of  your  power ;  and 
I  will  make  your  heaven  as  iron,  and  your  earth  as 
brass : 

20  And  your  strength  shall  be  spent  in  vain  :  for 
your  land  shall  not  yield  her  increase,  neither  shall 
the  trees  of  the  land  yield  their  fruits. 

21  And  if  ye  walk  contrary  unto  me,  and  will  not 
hearken  unto  me ;  I  will  bring  seven  times  m.ore 
plagues  upon  you  according  to  your  sins. 

22  I  will  also  send  wild  beasts  among  you,  which 
shall  rob  you  of  your  children,  and  destroy  your 
cattle,  and  make  you  few  in  number;  and  your 
higk  ways  shall  be  desolate. 

23  And  if  ye  will  not  be  reformed  by  me  by  these 
things,  but  will  walk  contrary  unto  me  ; 

24  Then  will  I  also  walk  contrary  unto  you,  and 
will  punish  you  yet  seven  times  for  your  sins. 

25  And  I  will  bring  a  sword  upon  you,  that  shall 
avenge  the  quarrel  of  my  covenant :  and  when  ye 
are  gathered  together  within  your  cities,  I  will  send 
the  pestilence  among  you  ;  and  ye  shall  be  deliv- 
ered into  the  hand  of  the  enemy. 

26  And  when  I  have  broken  the  staff  of  your 
bread,  ten  women  shall  bake  your  bread  in  one 
oven,  and  they  shall  deliver  you  your  bread  again 
by  weight :  and  ye  shall  eat,  and  not  be  satisfied. 

27  And  if  ye  will  not  for  all  this  hearken  unto 
me,  but  walk  contrary  unto  me  ; 

28  Then  I  will  walk  contrary  unto  you  also  in 
fury ;  and  I,  even  I,  will  chastise  you  seven  times 
for  your  sins. 

29  And  ye  shall  eat  the  flesh  of  your  sons,  and 
the  flesh  of  your  daughters  shall  ye  eat. 

30  And  I  will  destroy  your  high  places,  and  cut 
down  your  images,  and  cast  your  carcases  upon  the 
carcases  of  your  idols,  and  my  soul  shall  abhor  you. 

31  And  I  will  make  your  cities  waste,  and  bring 
your  sanctuaries  unto  desolation,  and  I  will  not 
smell  the  savour  of  your  sweet  odours. 


16  mandments,  but  break  my  covenant;  I  also  will 
do  this  unto  you  ;  I  will  appoint  terror  over  you, 
even  consumption  and  fever,  that  shall  consume 
the  eyes,  and  make  the  soul  to  pine  away  :  and 
ye  shall  sow  your  seed  in  vain,  for  your  enemies 

17  shall  eat  it.  And  I  will  set  my  face  against  you, 
and  ye  shall  be  smitten  before  your  enemies : 
they  that  hate  you  shall  rule  over  you  ;  and  ye 

18  shall  flee  when  none  pursueth  you.  And  if  ye 
will  not  yet  for  these  things  hearken  unto  me, 
then  I  will  chastise  you  seven  times  more  for 

19  your  sins.  And  I  will  break  the  pride  of  your 
power ;  and  I  will  make  your  heaven  as  iron, 

20  and  your  earth  as  brass  :  and  your  strength  shall 
be  spent  in  vain :  for  your  land  shall  not  yield 
her  increase,  neither  shall  the  trees  of  the  land 

21  yield  their  fruit.  And  if  ye  walk  contrary  unto 
me,  and  will  not  hearken  unto  me  ;  I  will  bring 
seven  times  more  plagues  upon  you  according 

22  to  your  sins.  And  I  will  send  the  beast  of  the 
held  among  you,  which  shall  rob  you  of  j^our 
children,  and  destroy  your  cattle,  and  make  you 
few  in  number;  and   your  ways  shall  become 

23  desolate.  And  if  by  these  things  ye  will  not  be 
reformed  unto  me,  but  will  walk  contrary  unto 

24  me ;  then  wiil  I  also  walk  contrary  unto  you ; 
and  I  will  smite  you,  even  I,  seven  times  for 

25  your  sins.  And  I  will  bring  a  sword  up>on  you, 
that  shall  execute  the  vengeance  of  the  cove- 
nant ;  and  ye  shall  be  gathered  together  within 
your  cities  :  and  I  will  send  the  pestilence  among 
you ;  and  ye  shall  be  delivered  into  the  hand  of 

26  the  enemy.  When  I  break  your  staff  of  bread, 
ten  women  shall  bake  your  bread  in  one  oven, 
and  they  shall  deliver  your  bread  again  by 
weight :  and  ye  shall  eat,  and  not  be  satisfied. 

27  And  if  ye  will  not  for  all  this  hearken  unto 

28  me,  but  walk  contrary  unto  me  ;  then  I  will  walk 
contrary  unto  you  in  fury  ;  and  I  also  will  chas- 

29  tise  you  seven  times  for  your  sins.  And  ye  shall 
eat  the  flesh  of  your  sons,  and  the  flesh  of  your 

30  daughters  shall  ye  eat.  And  I  will  destroy  your 
high  places,  and  cut  down  your  sun-images,  and 
cast  your  carcases  upon  the  carcases  of  your 

31  idols  ;  and  my  soul  shall  abhor  you.  And  I  will 
make  your  cities  a  waste,  and  will  bring  your 
sanctuaries  unto  desolation,  and  I  will  not  smell 


their  enemies.  16.  Consumption  and  the 
burning  ague,  or  rather,  consumption  and 
fever,  are  perhaps  general  terms  for  wasting 
disease  and  inflammatory  disease.  To  con- 
sume the  eyes  and  to  make  the  life  waste 
away  is  a  form  of  speech  that  often  recurs 
in  prophetic  threatenings  (cf.  i  Sam.  2  :  33;   oeut. 

28  :  65). 

In  the  second  warning  (ver.  18-20)  an  aggra- 
vated or  "  seven-fold  "  punishment  is  threatened 
through  drought.  19.  The  peculiar  expres- 
sion, to  break  the  pride  of  your  power 
occurs  elsewhere  only  in  Ezekiel  where  it  is 

characteristic  (see  Ezek.  24  :  21  ;   30  :  6;   33  :  28), 

The  third  warning  (ver.  21, 22)  sets  forth  as  a 
"  seven-fold  "  visitation  the  reducing  of  the  pop- 
ulation by  wild  beasts  until  the  roads  become 
desolate. 

According  to  the  fourth  warning  (ver.  23-26) 
the  rebellious  people  shall  be  crowded  by  war 
into  their  cities  where  pestilence  shall  break 


out  and  scarcity  of  food  shall  reduce  them  to  the 
scantiest  rations.  26.  To  break  the  staff  of 
your  bread  is  another  Ezekiel  expression 
(Ezek.  4: 16;  6  :  16  ;  u  :  13),  though  Something  like 
it  is  also  used  by  Isaiah  (s  :  i). 

The  fifth  warning  (ver.  27-33)  is  the  most 
severe.  It  threatens  the  most  dreadful  destitu- 
tion for  the  people,  the  destruction  of  their 
idolatrous  symbols,  the  laying  waste  of  their 
cities,  the  rejection  of  their  sacrifices,  an  aston- 
ishing desolation  of  the  land,  and  captivity 
among  the  nations.  The  eating  of  the  flesh  of 
their  offspring  (ver.  29)  actually  occurred  at  the 
siege  of  Samaria  by  the  Syrians  (^  Kings  6  :  28, 29) 
and  in  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  Nebuchadnez- 
zar's siege  (Lam.  4  :  10),  and  also  at  its  final  de- 
struction under  Titus  (see  jos.,  Beii.  Jud.,  v.,  10  : 3). 
30.  The  images  are  pillars  or  images  dedi- 
cated to  the  sun,  as  indicated  in  R.  V.  Idols, 
lit.,  clods,  or  what  can  be  rolled  about,  is 
probably  a  contemptuous  designation.  The  Poly- 


104 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


32  And  I  will  bring  the  land  into  desolation  :  and 
your  enemies  which  dwell  therein  shall  be  aston- 
ished ut  it. 

33  And  I  will  scatter  you  among  the  heathen, 
and  will  draw  out  a  sword  after  you:  and  your 
land  shall  be  desolate,  and  your  cities  waste. 

34  Then  shall  the  land  enjoy  her  sabbaths,  as 
long  as  it  lieth  desolate,  and  ye  be  in  your  enemies' 
land  ;  even  then  shall  the  land  rest,  and  enjoy  her 

35  As  long  as  it  lieth  desolate  it  shall  rest ;  be- 
cause it  did  not  rest  in  your  sabbaths,  when  ye 
dwelt  upon  it. 

36  And  upon  them  that  are  lefta^ireof  you  I  will 
send  a  faintness  into  their  hearts  in  the  lands  of 
their  enemies;  and  the  sound  of  a  shaken  leaf 
shall  chase  them  ;  and  they  shall  flee,  as  fleeing 
from  a  sword  ;  and  they  shall  fall  when  none  pur- 
sueth, 

37  And  they  shall  fall  one  upon  another,  as  it 
were  before  a  sword,  when  none  pursueth  :  and  ye 
shall  have  no  power  to  stand  before  your  enemies. 

38  And  ye  shall  perish  among  the  heathen,  and 
the  land  of  your  enemies  shall  eat  you  up. 

3y  And  they  that  are  left  of  you  shall  pine  away 
in  their  iniquity  in  your  enemies'  lands  ;  and  also 
in  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers  shall  they  pine 
away  with  them. 

4o"lf  they  shall  confess  their  iniquity,  and  the 
iniquity  of  their  fathers,  with  their  trespass  which 
they  trespassed  against  me,  and  that  also  they  have 
walked  contrary  unto  me  ; 

41  And  that  I  also  have  walked  contrary  unto 
them,  and  have  brought  them  into  the  land  of  their 
enemies ;  if  then  their  uncircumcised  hearts  be 
humbled,  and  they  then  accept  of  the  punishment 
of  their  iniquity  : 

42  Then  will  I  remember  my  covenant  with 
Jacob,  and  also  my  covenant  with  Isaac,  and  also 
my  covenant  with  Abraham  will  I  remember;  and 
I  will  remenilier  the  land. 

43  The  land  also  shall  be  left  of  them,  and  shall 
enjoy  her  sabbaths,  while  she  lieth  desolate  with- 
out them  :  and  they  shall  accept  of  the  punishment 
of  their  iniquity*:  because,  even  because  they 
despised  my  judgments,  and  because  their  soul 
abhorred  my  stntutes. 

44  And  yet  for  all  that,  when  they  be  in  the  land 
of  their  enemies,  I  will  not  cast  them  away,  neither 
will  I  abhor  them,  to  destroy  them  utterly,  and  to 
break  my  covenant  with  them  :  for  I  am  the  Lord 
their  God. 


32  the  savour  of  your  sweet  odours.  And  I  will 
bring  the  land  into  desolation  :  and  your  enemies 
which  dwell  therein  shall  be  astonished  at  it. 

33  And  you  will  I  scatter  among  the  nations,  and 
I  will  draw  out  the  sword  after  you  :  and  your 
land  shall  be  a  desolation,  and  your  cities  shall 

34  be  a  waste.  Then  shall  the  land  enjoy  her  sab- 
baths, as  long  as  it  lieth  desolate,  and  ye  be  in 
your  enemies'  land  ;  even  then  shall  the  land 

35  rest,  and  enjoy  her  sabbaths.  As  long  as  it  lieth 
desolate  it  shall  have  rest ;  even  the  rest  which 
it  had  not  in  your  sabbaths,  when  ye  dwelt  upon 

36  it.  And  as  for  them  that  are  left  of  you,  I  will 
send  a  faintness  into  their  heart  in  the  lands  of 
their  enemies:  and  the  sound  of  a  driven  leaf 
shall  chase  them;  and  they  shall  flee,  asouefleeth 
from  the  sword  ;  and  they  shall  fall  when  none 

37  pursueth.  And  they  shall  stumble  one  upon 
another,  as  it  were  before  the  sword,  when  none 
pursueth  :  and  ye  shall  have  no  power  to  stand 

38  before  your  enemies.  And  ye  shall  perish  among 
the  nations,  and  the  land  of  your  enemies  shall 

39  eat  you  up.  And  they  that  are  left  of  you  shall 
pine  away  in  their  iniquity  in  your  enemies' 
lands  ;  and  also  in  the  iniquities  of  their  fathers 

40  shall  they  pine  away  with  them.  And  they 
shall  confess  their  iniquity,  and  the  iniquity  of 
their  fathers,  in  their  trespass  which  they  tres- 

Eassod  against  me,  and  also  that  because  they 
ave  walked  contrary  unto  me,  I  also  walked 
contrary  unto  them,  and  brought  them  into  the 
land  of  their  enemies :  if  then  their  uncircum- 
cised heart  be  humbled,  and  they  then  accept 

42  of  the  punishment  of  their  iniquity ;  then  will 
I  remember  my  covenant  with  Jacob  ;  and  also 
my  covenant  with  Isaac,  and  also  my  covenant 
with  Abraham  will  I  remember;  and  I  will  re- 

43  member  the  land.  The  land  also  shall  be  left 
of  them,  and  shall  enjoy  her  sabbath,  while  she 
lieth  desolate  without  them  ;  and  they  shall  ac- 
cept of  the  punishment  of  their  iniquity :  be- 
cause, even  because  they  rejected  my  judge- 
ments,  and  their  soul  abhorred    my  statutes. 

44  And  yet  for  all  that,  when  they  be  in  the  land 
of  their  enemies,  I  will  not  reject  them,  neither 
will  I  abhor  them,  to  destroy  them  utterly,  and 
to  break  my  covenant  with  them  :  for  I  am  the 


chrome  Bible  preserves  the  contemptuous  im- 
plication by  the  rendering  fetishes.  33.  To 
draw  out  a  sword  after  any  one  is  another 
of  Ezekiel's  characteristic  expressions  (cf.  Ezck. 

5  :  2,  12  ;   12  :  14). 

34-45.  ResxtUs  of  the  visitation  upon  the  land 
and  upon  the  jx-opile.  A  prominent  result  of 
which  the  author  makes  great  account  is  that  the 
land  shall  enjoy  a  rest  as  a  satisfaction  for  the 
long  neglect  of  the  sabbatic  year.  This  was  the 
interpretation  put  upon  the  captivity  by  the 
autlior  of  Chronicles  (see  2  ciuon.  36  :  21).  The 
land  shall  literally  accept  her  sabbaths  (ver.  34)^ 
i.  e.,  perhaps  be  paid  them  as  her  due.  The 
term  appears  to  be  the  technical  term  for  being 
satisfied  by  the  settlement  of  an  account.  With 
tlie  same  signification  the  children  of  Israel  are 
said  in  ver.  41  to  accept  or  he  paid  the  punish- 
ment of  their  iniquity.  This  important  rest  of 
the  land,  as  the  triumphant  result  of  the  diviue 


visitations,  is  again  recurred  to  in  ver.  43.  The 
writer  evidently  had  strong  feelings  regarding 
the  sabbatic  year,  and  talks  like  one  who  knew 
that  it  had  not  been  observed. 

The  results  upon  the  nation  are,  first,  an  ex- 
traordinary nervelessness  and  timidity,  so  that 
they  pine  or  consume  away  and  perish  in  their 
enemies'  land.  It  is  said  (ver.  38)  that  the  land 
of  their  enemies  shall  eat  them  up,  a  peculiar 
expression  used  also  by  the  timid  spies  regarding 
the  Promised  Land  (see  Num.  13 :  32)^  though  pos- 
sibly with  not  exactly  the  same  meaning.  Here 
it  probably  means  that  they  shall  so  lose 
their  national  identity  in  the  strange  land  that 
they  shall  never  come  forth  as  a  distinct  body, 
and  it  shall  be  as  if  the  land  had  devoured  them. 
Another  result  will  be  that  the  nation  will  con- 
fess their  iniquities  and  those  of  their  fathers; 
and  the  gracious  assurance  is  given  tliat  if  their 
uncircumcised,  i.  e.,  stupid,  heart  (cf.  Jer.  ■»    4; 


Ch.  XXVII.] 


LEVITICUS 


105 


45  But  I  will  for  their  sakcs  remember  the  cove- 
nant of  their  ancestors,  whom  I  brought  forth  out 
of  the  laud  of  Egypt  in  tlie  sight  of  the  heathen, 
that  I  might  be  tlieir  God  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

46  These  are  the  statutes  and  judgments  and 
laws,  which  the  Lord  made  between  him  and  the 
children  of  Israel  in  mount  Sinai  by  the  hand  of 
Moses. 


45  Lord  their  God :  but  I  will  for  their  sakes  re- 
member the  covenant  of  their  ancestors,  whom 
1  brought  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  in  the 
sight  of  the  nations,  that  I  might  be  their  God  : 
I  am  the  Lord. 

46  These  are  the  statutes  and  judgements  and 
laws,  wliich  the  Lord  made  between  him  and 
the  children  of  Israel  in  mount  Sinai  by  the 
hand  of  Moses. 


CHAPTER    XXVII 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  a  man  shall  make  a  singular  vow,  the 
persons  shall  be  for  the  Lord  by  thy  estimation. 

3  And  thy  estimation  shall"  be  of  the  male  from 
twenty  years  old  even  unto  sixty  years  old,  even 
thy  estimation  shall  be  fifty  shekels  of  silver,  after 
the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary. 

4  And  if  it  be  a  female,  then  thy  estimation  shall 
be  thirty  shekels. 

5  And  it  be  fz'ora  five  years  old  even  unto  twenty 
years  old,  then  thy  estimation  shall  be  of  the  male 
twenty  shekels,  and  for  the  female  ten  shekels. 

6  And  if  it  be  from  a  month  old  even  unto  five 
years  old,  then  thy  estimation  shall  be  of  the  male 
five  shekels  of  silver,  and  for  the  female  thy  esti- 
mation shall  be  three  shekels  of  silver. 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them.  When  a  man  shall  accomplish  a  vow,  the 
persons  shall  be  for  the  Lord  by  thy  estimation. 

3  And  thy  estimation  shall  be  of  the  male  from 
twenty  years  old  even  unto  sixty  years  old,  even 
thy  estimation  shall  be  fifty  shekels  of  silver, 

4  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary.  And  if  it  be 
a  female,  then  thy  estimation  shall   be  thirty 

5  shekels.  And  if  it  be  from  five  years  old  even 
unto  twenty  years  old,  then  thy  estimation  shall 
be  of  the  male  twenty  shekels,   and    for    the 

6  female  ten  shekels.  And  if  it  be  from  a  mouth 
old  even  unto  five  years  old,  then  thy  estimation 
shall  be  of  the  male  five  shekels  of  silver,  and 
for  the  female  thy  estimation  shall  be  three 


9  :  26  ;  Deut.  10  :  16  ;  30  ;  6)  is  humblcd  SO  RS  to  aCCept 

the  punishment,  God  will  remember  his  cove- 
nant with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  In  the 
land  of  their  enemies  the  covenant  will  be  in 
abeyance,  not  destroyed  utterly,  and  therefore 
their  punishment  shall  be  the  salutary  chasten- 
ing of  one  who  is  still  their  God. 

46.  Subscription  to  the  Laxv  of  Holiness.  A 
subscription  is  appended  here  as  if  this  marked 
the  end  of  the  Sinai  legislation.  This  may  be 
because  the  following  chapter  is  of  the  nature  of 
an  appendix,  and  therefore  the  law  is  regarded 
as  strictly  completed  here ;  but  more  probably 
the  subscription  here  marks  the  end  of  that  dis- 
tinct stratum  of  the  documentary  material  which 
has  been  denominated  the  Law  of  Holiness. 


Chap.  27.  On  the  commutation  of 
vows  and  dues.  After  the  distinct  section, 
chaps.  17-26,  this  supplementary  chapter  re- 
verts to  the  characteristics  of  P.  We  note  at 
once  an  instance  in  the  form,  "a  man  if" 
(ver.  2)^  noticed  as  a  characteristic  of  P,  in  the 
note  on  1  :  2.  In  its  reference  to  the  year  of 
Jubilee,  however,  and  in  some  of  its  literary 
marks,  this  chapter  shows  affinities  with  chap. 
25,  and  probably  owes  its  present  position  to 
the  redactor  who  brought  the  whole  together 
into  one  book. 

1-25.  The  commutation  of  vows.  The  vow 
was  a  voluntary  dedicating  of  persons  or  prop- 
erty to  Jehovah.  In  fixing  the  scale  of  estima- 
tions, vows  of  persons  (ver.  2-8) ^  of  animals,  clean 
or  unclean  (ver.  9-13)^  of  houses  (ver.  u,  15),  and  of 
fields,  belonging  to  one's  hereditary  possession 


or  acquired  by  purchase  (ver.  16-25),  are  men- 
tioned. No  one  was  obliged  to  make  a  vow,  but 
once  made  the  vow  became  an  obligation  which 

must  be  performed  (see  Deut.  23  :  21-23 ;  cf.  Num. 
30  :  2  ;  Ps.  15  :  4  ;   Prov.  20  :  25  ;   Eccl.  5  :  4,  5).      It  is  the 

substance  of  this  legislation  to  which  Jesus  re- 
fers in  his  teaching  regarding  the  oath  (Matt.  5  : 
33-37).  Perhaps  in  the  earlier  times  the  vow  was 
regarded  as  so  literally  obligatory  as  to  know  no 
possibility  of  commutation  or  mitigation,  as  in 
the  case  of  Jephthah  (Judg.  ii:3o,  seq.),  while  by 
the  time  the  priestly  legislation  had  assumed  its 
final  shape  the  custom  of  vowing  was  becoming 
conventionalized,  so  that  the  act  of  dedicating  a 
person  implied  that  he  was  to  be  redeemed  ac- 
cording to  a  fixed  tariff.  It  had  become  the  act 
of  giving  money  under  the  form  of  a  dedication 
of  persons  or  property  in  kind.  The  dedicating 
of  a  person  to  the  sanctuary  was  not  improbably 
regarded  as  a  more  solemn  act  than  the  simple 
promising  of  so  much  money.  This  custom  is 
alluded  to  in  2  Kings  12  :  4. 

When  a  man  shall  make  a  singular 
vow,  etc.  (ver.  2)^  rather,  as  more  literally  ren- 
dered, If  a  man  shall  set  apart  a  vow,  in  thy  valu- 
ation, of  persons.  The  case  contemplated  is  that 
of  a  man's  setting  apart  a  person  by  vow,  either 
himself,  or  some  of  his  family  or  dependents.  A 
fixed  tariff  of  valuations  follows,  according  to 
which  the  person's  dedication  to  the  sanctuary 
might  be  commuted  for  money.  The  valuation 
was  perhaps  based  on  the  average  vahie  of  one's 
services  as  a  laborer  for  the  period  mentioned, 
or  the  excess  of  that  value  over  the  cost  of  his 
maintenance.     Thus  the  age  from  twenty  to 


106 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXVIl. 


7  And  U  U  be  from  sixty  years  old  and  above ;  if 
it  be  a.  male,  then  thy  estimation  shall  be  fifteen 
shekels,  and  for  the  female  ten  shekels. 

8  But  if  he  be  poorer  than  thy  estimation,  then 
he  shall  present  himself  before  the  priest,  and  the 
priest  shall  value  him  ;  according  to  his  ability  that 
vowed  shall  the  priest  value  him. 

9  And  if  it  be  a  beast,  whereof  men  bring  an  offer- 
ing unto  the  Lord,  all  that  any  man  giveth  of  such 
unto  the  Lord  shall  be  holy. 

10  ile  shall  not  alter  it,  nor  change  it,  a  good  for 
a  bad,  or  a  bad  for  a  good :  and  if  he  shall  at  all 
change  beast  for  beast,  then  it  and  the  exchange 
thereof  shall  be  holy. 

11  And  if  it  be  any  unclean  beast,  of  which  they 
do  not  offer  a  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord,  then  he  shall 
present  the  beast  before  the  priest : 

12  And  the  priest  shall  value  it,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad  :  as  thou  valuest  it,  who  art  the  priest, 
so  shall  it  be. 

IH  But  if  he  will  at  all  redeem  it,  then  he  shall 
add  a  fifth  part  thereof  unto  thy  estimation. 

14  And  when  a  man  shall  sanctify  his  house  to  be 
holy  unto  the  Lord,  then  the  priest  shall  estimate 
it,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad :  as  the  priest  shall 
estimate  it,  so  shall  it  stand. 

15  And  if  he  that  sanctified  it  will  redeem  his 
house,  then  he  shall  add  the  fifth  par/ of  the  money 
of  thy  estimation  unto  it,  and  it  shall  be  his. 

16  And  if  a  man  shall  sanctify  unto  the  Lord 
some  part  of  a  field  of  his  possession,  then  thy  esti- 
mation shall  be  according  to  the  seed  thereof :  an 
homer  of  barley  seed  shall  be  valued  at  fifty  shekels 
of  silver. 

17  If  he  sanctify  his  field  from  the  year  of  jubile, 
according  to  thy  estimation  it  shall  stand. 

18  But  if  he  sanctify  his  field  after  the  jubile, 
then  the  priest  shall  reckon  unto  him  the  money 
according  to  the  years  that  remain,  even  unto  the 
year  of  the  jubile,  and  it  shall  be  abated  from  thy 
estimation. 


7  shekels  of  silver.  And  if  it  be  from  sixty 
years  old  and  upward ;  if  it  be  a  male,  then 
thy  estimation  shall  be  fifteen  shekels,  and  for 

8  the  female  ten  shekels.  But  if  he  be  poorer 
than  thy  estimation,  then  he  shall  be  set  before 
the  priest,  and  the  priest  shall  value  him  ;  ac- 
cording to  the  ability  of  him  that  vowed  shall 
the  priest  value  him. 

9  And  if  it  be  a  beast,  whereof  men  offer  an  ob- 
lation unto  the  Lord,  all  that  any  man  giveth  of 

10  such  unto  the  Lord  shall  be  holy.  He  shall  not 
alter  it,  nor  change  it,  a  good  for  a  bad,  or  a 
bad  for  a  good :  and  if  he  shall  at  all  change 
beast  for  beast,  then  both  it  and  that  for  which 

11  it  is  changed  shall  be  holy.  And  if  it  be  any  un- 
clean beast,  of  which  they  do  not  offer  an  obla- 
tion unto  the  Lord,  then  he  shall  set  the  beast 

12  before  the  priest :  and  the  priest  shall  value  it, 
whether  it  be  good  or  bad :  as  thou  the  priest 

13  valuest  it,  so  shall  it  be.  But  if  he  will  indeed 
redeem  it,  then  he  shall  add  the  fifth  part  thereof 
unto  thy  estimation. 

14  And  when  a  man  shall  sanctify  his  house  to 
be  holy  unto  the  Lord,  then  the  priest  shall  esti- 
mate it,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad  :  as  the  priest 

15  shall  estimate  it,  so  shall  itstand.  And  if  he  that 
sanctified  it  will  redeem  his  house,  then  he  shall 
add  the  fifth  part  of  the  money  of  thy  estimation 
unto  it,  and  it  shall  be  his. 

16  And  if  a  man  shall  sanctify  unto  the  Lord  part 
of  the  field  of  his  possession,  then  thy  estimation 
shall  be  according  to  the  sowing  thereof:  the 
sowing  of  a  homer  of  barley  shall  be  valued  at  fifty 

17  shekels  of  silver.  If  he  sanctify  his  field  from  the 
year  of  jubile,  according  to  thy  estimation  it  shall 

18  stand.  But  if  he  sanctify  his  field  after  the  jubile, 
then  the  priest  shall  reckon  unto  him  the  money 
according  to  the  years  that  remain  unto  the  year 
of  jubile,  and  an  abatement  shall  be  made  from 


sixty  commands  the  highest  valuation,  and  that 
from  five  to  twenty  next,  while  the  tender  age 
from  infancy  to  childhood  is  valued  low,  and 
the  i>eriod  of  old  age  is,  for  the  male  at  least, 
rated  at  a  price  a  little  below  that  of  the  period 
of  youth.  The  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  is  pro- 
bably the  official  shekel  (see  on  5  :  i5).  This 
valuation  of  Moses  was  not  a  rigid  rule ;  in  case 
the  person  making  the  vow  was  too  poor  to  meet 
it,  the  fixing  of  the  sum  was  left  to  the  discre- 
tion of  the  priest  (Ter.  8). 

In  the  case  of  beasts  of  such  kinds  as  are 
offered  in  sacrifice  being  vowed  (ver.  9)  there 
seems  to  be  no  provision  made  for  commuting 
the  vow  in  money.  It  is  taken  for  granted  that 
the  beast  will  be  offered,  the  only  provision  that 
is  insisted  on  being  that  there  shall  be  no  chang- 
ing of  good  for  bad,  or  bad  for  good.  If  this  is 
attempted,  both  the  animal  on  which  the  lot  fell 
and  its  chosen  substitute  are  to  be  taken  to 
satisfy  the  vow.  If  the  vow  was  of  an  unclean 
beast  (vcr.  11)^  unadapted  to  the  uses  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, then  the  priest  on  inspection  was  to 
value  it  "between  good  and  bad,"  i.  e.,  as  to 
how  good  or  bad  it  was,  and  then  it  was  to  be 
sold  at  that  valuation  (cf.  ver.  27)  ;  or  if  the 
owner  wi.shed  to  retain  it  he  might  do  so  by 
adding  a  fifth  to  the  price. 


Houses  (ver.  14, 15)  when  vowed  were  subject 
to  the  same  rule  as  unclean  beasts,  i.  e.,  sold  at 
the  priest's  valuation  and  the  money  turned  into 
the  sacred  treasury,  or  redeemed  by  the  addi- 
tion of  one-fifth  to  the  price.  It  is  to  be  re- 
membered that  if  houses  were  in  the  country 
they  were  subject  to  the  same  right  of  redemp- 
tion at  the  Jubilee  as  the  fields  (25  :  31)^  w^hile  in 
walled  towns  that  right  lapsed  at  the  end  of  one 
year  (25 :  29).  This  was  no  doubt  taken  into 
the  account  by  the  priest  in  his  fixing  of  the 
valuation. 

The  value  of  a  field  belonging  to  the  vower's 
hereditary  possession  (ver.  16,  acq.)  was  reckoned 
according  to  the  amount  of  seed  required  to  sow 
it  properly.  A  field  requiring  a  homer  of  barley, 
^.  e.,  ten  ephahs  (Ezek.  45  :  11)  containing  a  little 
over  five  and  a  half  bushels  (see  on  Lev.  19  :  36), 
was  valued  at  fifty  shekels.  This  was  evidently 
the  estimated  worth  of  the  crops  of  such  a  field 
for  the  whole  Jubilee  period.  If  the  Jubilee 
period  had  partly  elapsed  at  the  time  the  vow 
was  made,  the  priest  allowed  an  abatement  ac- 
cording to  the  time  still  remaining  (see  ver.  le). 
Apparently  the  owner  after  paying  his  valua- 
tion continued  to  hold  the  field,  but  without  the 
right  of  selling  it.  If  he  washed  to  redeem  it 
outright  he  could  do  so  by  adding  a  fifth  to  the 


Ch.  XXVII.] 


LEVITICUS 


107 


19  And  if  he  that  saiictilied  the  field  will  in  any 
wise  redeem  it,  then  lie  shall  add  the  fifth  pari  of 
the  money  of  thy  estimation  unto  it,  and  it  shall  be 
assured  to  him. 

20  And  if  he  will  not  redeem  the  field,  or  if  he 
have  sold  the  field  to  another  man,  it  shall  not  be 
redeemed  any  more. 

21  But  the  field,  when  it  goeth  out  in  the  jubile, 
?hall  be  holy  unto  the  Lord,  as  a  field  devoted  ; 
the  possession  thereof  shall  be  the  priest's. 

22  And  if  a  man  sanctify  unto  the  Lord  a  field 
which  he  hath  bought,  which  is  not  of  the  fields  of 
his  possession ; 

23  Then  the  priest  shall  reckon  unto  him  the 
worth  of  thy  estimation,  even  unto  the  year  of  the 
jubile:  and  he  shall  give  thine  estimation  in  that 
day,  as  a  holy  thing  unto  the  Lord. 

24  In  the  year  of  the  jubile  the  field  shall  return 
unto  him  of  whom  it  was  bought,  even  to  him  to 
whom  the  possession  of  the  land  did  belong. 

25  And  all  thy  estimations  shall  be  according  to 
the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary :  twenty  gerahs  shall 
be  the  shekel. 

26  On  ly  the  firstling  of  the  beasts,  which  should 
be  the  Lord's  firstling,  no  man  shall  sanctify  it; 
whether  it  be  ox,  or  sheep :  it  is  the  Lord's. 

27  And  if  zY  be  of  an  unclean  beast,  then  he  shall 
redeem  it  according  to  thine  estimation,  and  shall 
add  a  fifth  part  of  it  thereto :  or  if  it  be  not  re- 
aeemed,  then  it  shall  be  sold  according  to  thy 
estimation. 

28  Notwithstanding  no  devoted  thing,  that  a 
man  shall  devote  unto  the  Lord  of  all  that  he  hath, 
both  of  man  and  beast,  and  of  the  field  of  his  pos- 
session, shall  be  sold  or  redeemed  :  every  devoted 
thing  is  most  holy  unto  the  Lord. 

29  None  devoted,  which  shall  be  devoted  of  men, 
shall  be  redeemed  ;  but  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 


19  thy  estimation.  And  if  he  that  sanctified  the 
field  will  indeed  redeem  it,  then  he  shall  add 
the  fifth  part  of  the  money  of  thy  estimation 

20  unto  it,  and  it  shall  be  assured  to  him.  And  if 
he  will  not  redeem  the  field,  or  if  he  have  sold 
the  field  to  another  man,  it  sliall  not  be  redeemed 

21  any  more :  but  the  field,  when  it  goeth  out  in 
the  jubile,  shall  be  holy  unto  the  Lord,  as  a  field 
devoted ;   the  possession  thereof  shall  be    the 

22  priest's.  And  if  he  sanctify  unto  the  Lord  a  field 
vvhich  he  hath  bought,  which  is  not  of  the  field  of 

23  his  possession  ;  then  the  priest  shall  reckon  unto 
him  the  worth  of  thy  estimation  unto  the  year 
of  jubile  :  and  he  shall  give  thine  estimation  in 

24  that  day,  as  a  holy  thing  unto  the  Lord.  In  the 
year  of  jubile  the  field  shall  return  unto  him  of 
whom  it  was  bought,  even  to  him  to  whom  the 

25  possession  of  the  land  belongeth.  And  all  thy 
estimations  shall  be  according  to  the  shekel  of 
the  sanctuary  :  twenty  gerahs  shall  be  the  shekel. 

26  Only  the  firstling  among  beasts,  which  is 
made  a  firstling  to  the  Lord,  no  man  shall  sanc- 
tify it ;  whether  it  be  ox  or  sheep,  it  is  the  Lord's. 

27  And  if  it  be  of  an  unclean  beast,  then  he  shall 
ransom  it  according  to  thine  estimation,  and 
shall  add  unto  it  the  fifth  part  thereof :  or  if  it  be 
not  redeemed,  then  it  shall  be  sold  according  to 
thy  estimation. 

28  Notwithstanding,  no  devoted  thing,  that  a 
man  shall  devote  unto  the  Lord  of  all  that  he 
hath,  whether  of  man  or  beast,  or  of  the  field  of 
his  possession,  shall  be  sold  or  redeemed  :  every 

29  devoted  thing  is  most  holy  unto  the  Lord.  None 
devoted,  which  shall  be  devoted  of  men,  shall 
be  ransomed  ;  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 


valuation.  Indeed,  if  he  did  not  pay  this  addi- 
tional fifth,  and  so  bring  the  field  back  into  his 
absolute  possession  before  the  Jubilee,  he  lost  all 
right  of  redemption  at  the  Jubilee  and  the  field 
became  a  priestly  possession  like  a  devoted  field 
(ver.  21).  Or  if,  again,  he  sold  his  interest  to 
another  man  during  the  time  of  his  occupancy 
as  tenant  of  a  vowed  field,  he  forfeited  the  right 
of  redemption  at  the  Jubilee  in  the  same  way. 

In  the  case  of  vowing  a  field  which  the  per- 
son had  bought  (ver.  22)  the  estimating  must  be 
completed  and  the  whole  price  must  be  paid  at 
once  (in  that  day,  ver.  23)^  so  as  not  to  impair 
the  original  owner's  right  to  redeem  his  hered- 
itary possession  at  any  time.  At  the  Jubilee  the 
field  would  revert  to  the  original  owner  as  in 
25  :  28. 

All  these  estimations  were  to  be  in  the  official 
or  sanctuary  shekel,  which  was  probably  worth 
about  sixty  cents. 

26,  37.  Of  firstlings.  The  firstlings  of 
cattle  could  not  be  vowed,  as  these  already  be- 
longed to  Jehovah  (Exod.  13  : 2 ;  22  :  30).  An  un- 
clean beast  might  be  redeemed,  if  so  desired,  at 
the  priest's  valuation  with  the  addition  of  a  fifth 
to  the  price.  Thy  estimation  (ver.  27) — second 
person  singular— is  no  doubt  subject  to  the 
same  explanation  as  is  given  it  in  ver.  12.  If 
not  redeemed  it  was  to  be  sold.  This,  so  far  as 
related  to  the  firstborn  of  an  ass,  was  a  modifi- 


cation of  the  earlier  law  (Exod.  is :  is ;  S4 :  20)  ac- 
cording to  which  the  animal  was  to  be  redeemed 
with  a  lamb,  or  if  not  redeemed,  to  have  its  neck 
broken. 

28,  29.  Of  things  devoted  under  a  han. 
Things  devoted  under  a  ban  were  originally  to 
be  destroyed  utterly  (Num.  21  :  1-3 ;  josh.  6  :  17-24;  1 
Sam.  15  :  1-21).  The  cherem,  or  ban,  was  a  sen- 
tence of  utter  devotion  to  God ;  and  to  make  the 
thing  banned  subject  to  a  privilege  of  redemp- 
tion would  be  to  frustrate  the  object  of  the  ban. 
From  the  word  D'^n,  cherem,  was  derived  the 
proper  name  HD'^n,  Charmah  (see  Num.  21  :  s),  a 
memorial  of  the  circumstance  that  that  place, 
and  the  whole  region,  on  being  taken  by  the 
Israelites,  was  "  utterly  devoted."  According 
to  Num.  18  :  14  (of.  Ezek.  u  -.  29)  everything 
banned  in  Israel  was  to  be  the  perquisite  of  the 
priest.  Here  evidently  to  "devote"  or  ban 
meant  to  dedicate  to  the  sanctuary  in  an  espe- 
cially strict  way.  As  to  the  case  of  persons 
placed  under  the  ban,  ver,  29  is  not  to  be  taken 
as  meaning  that  any  one  could  arbitrarily  de- 
vote one  of  his  children  or  slaves  to  death, 
and  in  that  case  must  at  whatever  cost  perform 
his  vow.  Note  the  passive  construction  shall 
be  devoted  (ver.  29),  as  if  by  some  higher  au- 
thority, and  also  the  absence  of  the  phrase  "to 
Jehovah."  The  verse  rather  means  that  the 
older  law  devoting  idolaters  to  death  (Exod.  22 ; 


108 


LEVITICUS 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


30  And  all  the  tithe  of  the  land,  whether  of  the 
seed  of  the  land,  or  of  the  fiuitof  the  tree,  is  the 
Lord's :  it  is  holy  unto  the  Lord. 

31  And  if  a  man  will  at  all  redeem  ought  of  his 
tithes,  he  shall  add  thereto  the  fifth  part  thereof. 

32  And  concerning  the  tithe  of  the  herd,  or  of  the 
flock,  evenoi  whatsoever  passeth  under  the  rod,  the 
tenth  shall  be  holy  unto  the  Lord. 

3;i  He  shall  not  search  whether  it  be  good  or  bad, 
neither  shall  he  change  it :  and  if  he  change  it  at 
all,  then  both  it  and  the  change  thereof  shall  be 
holy  ;  it  shall  not  be  redeemed. 

34  These  are  the  commandments,  which  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses  for  the  children  of  Israel  in 
mount  Sinai. 


30  And  all  the  tithe  of  the  land,  whether  of  the 
seed  of  the  land,  or  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  is 

31  the  Lord's :  it  is  holy  unto  the  Lord.  And  if  a 
man  will  redeem  aught  of  his  tithe,  he  shall  add 

32  unto  it  the  fifth  part  thereof.  And  all  the  tithe 
of  the  herd  or  the  flock,  whatsoever  passeth  un- 
der the  rod,  the  tenth  shall   be  holy  unto   the 

33  Lord.  He  shall  not  search  whether  it  be  good 
or  bad,  neither  shall  he  change  it:  and  if  he 
change  it  at  all,  then  both  it  and  that  for  which 
it  is  changed  shall  be  holy  ;  it  shall  not  be  re- 
deemed. 

34  These  are  the  commandments,  which  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses  for  the  children  of  Israel  iu 
mount  Sinai. 


20;  Deut.  13 :  12,  seq.)  was  to  be  interpreted  strictly 
and  literally. 

30-33.  The  redemption  of  tithes.  The 
tithes  belonged  to  Jehovah,  and  were  subject  to 
the  same  rule  as  regards  redemption  as  the  clean 
beasts  that  had  been  vowed.  The  tithe  of  cattle, 
with  the  exception  of  the  secular  tithe  appre- 
hended as  one  of  the  burdens  of  the  monarchy 
(1  Sam.  8  :  17),  is  Only  mentioned  in  a  late  passage 
(2  chron.  31 :  5,  6),  though  there  is  no  antecedent 


reason  for  supposing  that  it  was  not  an  early  in- 
stitution. The  expression  passeth  under  tlie 
rod  (ver.  32)  rcfcrs  to  the  manner  of  counting 
animals,  which  was  by  causing  them  to  pass  one 
by  one  out  of  an  enclosure  while  a  rod  dipped 
in  some  pigment  was  held  over  them  and  made 
to  touch  and  mark  each  tenth  one. 

34.  Subscription.    This  verse  is  added  as  a 
conclusion  to  this  supplementary  chapter  (comp. 

26  :  46). 


The  Book  of  Numbers 


BY 

GEORGE  F.  GENUNG,  D.  D. 


Copyright  1906  by  the 
Ameeican  Baptist  Publication  Society 


Published  March,  1906 


3From  tbc  Society's  own  ipreso 


INTKODUCTION 


The  name  Numbers,  by  which  this  fourth  book  of  the  Pentateuch  is  generally 
known,  is  the  title  given  to  it  in  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate  versions.  This  name 
was  no  doubt  applied  to  the  book  on  account  of  the  two  numberings  of  the  people 
narrated  in  the  first  and  twenty-sixth  chapters,  and  on  account  of  the  matter  of  a 
statistical  nature  with  which  the  book  abounds.  In  the  Hebrew  Bibles  it  generally 
goes  by  its  first  distinctive  word,  '^57'?"?>  B'midhbar,  "in  the  wilderness."  The  book 
is  the  history  of  the  children  of  Israel  from  just  before  their  departure  from  Sinai, 
through  the  period  covered  by  their  forty  years'  wandering  in  the  desert,  and  to 
the  time  when,  encamped  in  the  plains  of  Moab  opposite  Jericho,  with  the  country 
to  the  east  of  the  Jordan  subdued,  they  were  ready  to  cross  the  river  and  undertake 
the  conquest  of  Western  Palestine. 

According  to  its  subject-matter  the  book  naturally  divides  itself  into  three 
parts.  The  first  part,  extending  from  the  beginning  to  the  tenth  verse  of  the  tenth 
chapter,  might  be  entitled,  Preparations  for  the  Departure  from  Sinai ;  the  second 
part,  from  10  :  11  to  22  :  1,  relates  various  incidents  of  the  journey  from  Sinai  to 
the  Steppes  of  Moab  ;  while  part  third  is  taken  up  with  the  occurrences  and  divine 
instructions  during  the  sojourn  in  the  Steppes  of  Moab. 

Part  first  is  largel}^  of  a  statistical  and  Levitical  character.  The  first  chapter 
gives  an  account  of  the  census  of  the  twelve  tribes  exclusive  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  ; 
while  the  second  goes  on  to  regulate  their  order  in  the  camp  and  on  the  march. 
In  chapter  three,  after  a  brief  genealogy  of  Aaron,  is  registered  the  divine  direc- 
tion to  take  the  tribe  of  Levi  for  the  service  of  the  sanctuary  in  lieu  of  the  first- 
born whom  Jehovah  claims  for  himself;  while  chapter  four  presents  the  duties  of 
the  Levites  in  detail  and  gives  the  number  of  those  qualified  for  service.  Chapter 
five  contains  laws  on  various  subjects  :  a  regulation  excluding  the  leprous  and  un- 
clean from  the  camp  ;  a  pendant  to  the  legislation  in  Lev.  5  :  14,  seq.,  defining  the 
law  of  compensation  for  fraud  in  case  the  injured  person  is  dead  and  has  no  go' el  ; 
and  finally  an  interesting  ordinance  prescribing  the  ordeal  for  the  woman  suspected 
by  her  husband  of  unfaithfulness.  The  sixth  chapter  gives  the  regulations  for  as- 
suming and  completing  the  Nazarite  vow,  and  ends  with  the  formula  for  the  priestly 
benediction.  In  the  seventh  chapter  the  exactly  similar  offerings  of  the  twelve 
princes  of  the  tribes  at  the  consecration  of  the  tent  of  meeting  and  of  the  altar  are 
marshaled  at  length  in  twelve  identical  descriptions,  and  at  the  end  an  isolated 
verse  is  inserted  describing  Moses'  habitual  communication  with  Jehovah  in  the 
tent  of  meeting.  Chapter  eight  opens  with  an  item  of  directions  regarding  the 
golden  candlestick,  and  then  narrates  the  consecration  of  the  Levites,  with  the 
divine  regulation  as  to  their  term  of  service.  In  the  ninth  chapter  is  given  an 
account  of  the  observance  of  the  Passover  at  Sinai,  with  the  provision,  growing  out 
of  an  actual  case,  for  a  supplemental  ordinance  a  month  later  for  the  benefit  of 

iii 


IV 


INTRODUCTION 


those  ceremonially  incapacitated  to  observe  the  festival  at  the  proper  time,  and 
finally  an  account  of  the  behavior  of  the  cloud  which  rested  over  the  sanctuary 
and  the  signals  which  it  gave  for  encamping  or  breaking  camp.  The  first  ten  verses 
of  the  tenth  chapter  bring  the  history  and  legislation  at  Sinai  to  a  close  by  an 
ordinance  regarding  the  construction  and  use  of  the  silver  trumpets  employed  by 
the  priests  for  the  sacred  calls  and  alarms. 

The  second  part,  covering  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years,  begins  at  10  :  11 
with  an  account  of  the  departure  of  the  people  from  Mount  Sinai,  the  securing 
of  Hobab  as  a  guide,  and  the  habit  of  the  ark  and  of  Moses,  who  recognized  it  as 
the  seat  of  Jehovah,  in  directing  the  movements  of  the  host.  In  the  interesting 
eleventh  chapter  is  narrated  the  murmuring  of  the  people  at  Taberah  and  Kibroth- 
Hattaawah,  the  appointment  of  seventy  elders  to  assist  Moses,  accompanied  by  the 
outbreak  of  prophecy  as  a  symptom  of  awakening  religious  life  in  Israel,  and  finally 
the  miraculous  sending  of  quails  to  satisfy  the  people.  Chapter  twelve  gives  an 
account  of  the  rebellion  of  Miriam  and  Aaron  against  Moses  as  Jehovah's  prophet, 
with  Miriam's  punishment  of  leprosy.  In  the  thirteenth  chapter  is  given  the  his- 
tory of  the  despatch  of  the  spies  from  Kadesh  and  their  report,  while  the  fourteenth 
records  the  rebellion  of  the  people  and  their  sentence  to  forty  years  of  wandering 
in  the  wilderness.  Chapter  fifteen  inserts  from  the  priestly  source  a  series  of  laws 
regarding  various  offerings,  the  account  of  the  Sabbath-breaker  and  his  sentence, 
and  the  regulation  regarding  memorial  fringes  to  be  worn  on  the  garments.  In  the 
sixteenth  chapter  is  narrated  the  formidable  rebellion  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abi- 
ram  ;  and  in  chapter  seventeen  the  subject-matter  of  the  dispute  is  set  at  rest  by 
the  miraculous  confirmation  of  the  priestly  prerogatives  in  the  tribe  of  Levi.  An- 
other insertion  of  priestly  laws  in  chapter  eighteen  gives  the  duties,  relative  jDOsi- 
tion,  and  revenues  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  while  the  nineteenth  chapter  de- 
scribes the  preparation  and  use  of  a  water  of  purification  for  those  defiled  by  con- 
tact with  the  dead.  The  twentieth  chapter  finds  the  new  generation  reassembled 
at  Kadesh  and  relates  the  death  of  Miriam,  the  sentence  of  Moses  and  Aaron  at 
the  Waters  of  Strife,  the  refusal  of  a  passage  through  Edom,  and  the  death  of  Aaron 
at  Mount  Hor.  Chapter  21  to  22  : 1,  with  various  embellishments  from  ancient  song, 
narrates  the  campaigns  and  journeyings  from  Mount  Hor  to  the  Steppes  of  Moab. 

Part  third  begins  with  the  three  chapters  devoted  to  the  interesting  episode  of 
Balaam  ;  the  first  of  these,  chapter  twenty-two,  narrating  Balaam's  summons  to 
curse  Israel  and  his  journey  to  Moab,  the  twenty-third  giving  the  soothsayer's  first 
two  discourses  from  the  top  of  the  rocks,  and  the  twenty-fourth  reproducing  what 
might  be  distinctively  called  his  prophecies  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  In  the  twenty-fifth  chapter  is  narrated  the  idolatry  and  immorality  of  the 
people  at  Shittim  under  the  enticements  of  the  women  of  Moab  and  Midian,  and 
Jehovah's  promise  to  Phinehas,  who  executed  his  vengeance.  Chapter  twenty-six 
is  occupied  with  the  second  census  of  Israel,  while  in  the  twenty-seventh  the 
daughters  of  Zelophehad  secure  an  inheritance  among  their  father's  brethren, 
and  Moses  is  warned  of  his  death  and  directed  to  appoint  Joshua  as  his  successor. 
The  twenty-eighth  and  twenty-ninth  chapters  are  taken  up  with  a  list  and  rubric 
of  the  public  sacrifices  for  the  sacred  year,  while  the  thirtieth  gives  the  law  regard- 
ing the  validity  of  vows.      In   chapter   thirty-one   is  an  account  of  the  war   of 


INTRODUCTION 


vengeance  against  Midian  with  the  regulation  in  regard  to  the  dividing  of  the  spoil. 
The  thirty-second  chapter  contains  an  account  of  the  allotment  to  the  two  tribes 
and  a  half  of  the  territory  to  the  east  of  the  Jordan.  In  chapter  thirty-three  is 
inserted  from  a  very  ancient  source  a  list  of  the  camping-places  of  Israel  from 
Rameses  to  the  plains  of  Moab,  with  directions  respecting  the  occupation  of 
Canaan.  The  boundaries  of  the  territory  west  of  the  Jordan  are  delimited  in  the 
thirty-fourth  chapter,  and  the  names  of  the  men  who  are  to  divide  the  land  are 
given.  Chapter  thirty-five  registers  the  appointment  of  cities  for  the  Levites  and 
cities  of  refuge  ;  and  finally,  the  short  thirty-sixth  chapter  closes  the  book  with  an 
ordinance,  growing  out  of  the  case  of  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad,  in  regard  to 
the  marriage  of  heiresses. 

The  problems  regarding  the  date  and  authorship  of  the  book  of  Numbers  are 
problems  that  belong  to  it  in  common  with  the  books  of  Exodus  and  Leviticus,  and 
their  discussion  is  simply  that  of  the  distinctive  strata  or  aspects  of  legislation  and 
narrative  appearing  in  the  texture  of  the  middle  books  of  the  Pentateuch.  As  a 
separate  book.  Numbers  does  not  stand  out  critically  from  the  mass  of  legislation 
and  narrative  of  which  these  middle  books  are  composed.  It  simply  goes  on  from 
Leviticus  with  little  change  of  subject,  as  Leviticus  goes  on  from  Exodus.  Like 
Leviticus,  or  for  that  matter  all  the  historical  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  ap- 
pears anonymously  in  the  Hebrew,  the  only  part  of  it  which  makes  any  profession 
of  coming  from  documents  written  by  Moses  being  the  itinerary  in  chapter  thirty- 
three.  It  lends  itself  to  consideration  simply  as  so  much  priestly  legislation  and 
so  much  historical  narrative  placed  side  by  side  in  a  connection  which  is  not  always 
logically  obvious,  and  bounded  on  the  one  side  by  the  first  numbering  of  Israel  and 
on  the  other  by  the  legislative  readiness  to  cross  the  Jordan  and  enter  on  the 
conquest  of  Western  Palestine. 

Perhaps  nothing  needs  to  be  said  regarding  the  improbability  that  Moses  pro- 
duced these  books  of  the  Pentateuch  in  substantially  their  present  form  that  has 
not  already  been  said  in  the  introduction  to  the  book  of  Leviticus,  excepting  that 
various  features  and  peculiarities  might  be  pointed  out  in  the  book  of  Numbers 
which  seem  to  enhance  that  improbability  still  more.  Apart  from  tradition,  the 
natural  and  unforced  impression  which  the  reader  derives  from  an  attentive  survey 
of  the  phenomena  of  statement  and  style  is  that  the  book  is  a  compilation  of  laws 
and  statistical  records  and  ceremonial  enactments  very  much  of  a  piece  with  those 
in  the  latter  part  of  Exodus  and  Leviticus,  accompanied  by  a  history  of  some  out- 
standing crises  and  events  in  the  wilderness  life  of  Israel  woven  together  from  ma- 
terial derived  from  somewhat  variant  sources  and  wrought  into  its  final  shape  long 
after  the  period  of  which  it  treats.  How  exactly  these  variant  sources  may  be 
regained  and  mapped  out  by  criticism  may  well  be  a  matter  of  dispute  ;  but  that 
there  is  a  slow  and  apparently  solid  coming  together  into  something  like  unanim- 
ity regarding  the  great  general  outlines  of  a  documentary  hypothesis  of  the  origin 
of  the  Hexateuch  is  a  fiict  which  cannot  be  ignored. 

The  most  distinctive  legislation  of  the  book  of  Numbers,  whose  effect  we  should 
expect  to  see  apparent  in  subsequent  history,  is  the  systematic  provision  for  the 
Levites  and  the  rigid  fixing  of  their  status  in  relation  to  that  of  the  priests.  In 
this  book  we  find  the  Levites  organized  as  a  temple-militia,  ''wholly  given,"  or 


^  INTRODUCTION 


"joined  "  to  the  priests,  claimed  by  Jehovah  and  "  waved  "  as  the  offering  of  the 
children  of  Israel  in  lieu  of  their  firstborn,  and  maintained  by  the  tithes  of  the 
people  from  which  in  turn  they  pay  a  tithe  for  the  maintenance  of  Aaron  the  priest. 
Their  three  families  of  Gershon,  Kohath,  and  Merari  are  systematically  designated 
to  the  duty  of  caring  for  and  transporting  the  various  parts  of  the  tabernacle  ;  and 
this  duty  is  rigidly  differentiated  from  the  function  of  the  priest,  which  is  that  of 
atoning  and  blessing  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  The  heart-burnings  and  jealousies 
in  connection  with  this  differentiation  are  reflected  in  the  history  ;  and  in  conse- 
quence of  the  Levite  Korah's  attempt  to  assert  priestly  prerogatives  for  his  order  a 
wholesale  act  of  judgment  is  performed,  and  memorial  plates  for  the  altar  are  made 
out  of  the  stricken  rebels'  censers  to  remind  the  children  of  Israel  that  no  stranger 
not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron  may  approach  to  burn  incense  before  Jehovah. 

Now  if  all  these  definite  ecclesiastical  arrangements  had  been  enforced  by 
Moses  and  made  the  model  to  which  the  organized  religious  life  of  the  nation  con- 
formed from  their  earliest  history  in  Canaan,  we  should  expect  to  see  some  indica- 
tions of  a  history  developing  on  that  basis.  But  when  we  turn  to  the  earlier 
historical  books  of  the  Bible  we  see  no  signs  of  such  a  religious  establishment. 
There  is  only  such  rudimentary  organization  of  worship  as  would  naturally  grow  up 
in  a  new  land  without  any  such  previous  legislation  as  that  of  the  Pentateuch.  The 
Levites,  while  recognized  in  a  way  as  a  sacred  caste,  are  nevertheless  not  system- 
atically provided  for,  but  find  their  home  and  support  as  they  may.  They  do  not 
seem  to  be  distinguished  from  the  priests,  nor  is  there  any  such  developed 
establishment  and  ritual  as  calls  for  the  specialization  of  functions  prescribed  in 
Numbers.  The  priests  are  the  body  of  men  who  "bear  the  ark  "  ;  and  this  is  the 
typical  function  which  is  taken  generically  to  characterize  the  priestly  office  (1 
Kings  2  :  26).  This  lack  of  differentiation  between  priests  and  Levites  also  charac- 
terizes the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  where  throughout  the  sacred  tribe  is  designated 
as  "  the  priests,  the  Levites"  ;  Aaron  is  never  called  a  priest;  the  priests  have 
the  function  of  bearing  the  ark  ;  and  on  the  other  hand  the  Levites  have  the 
supreme  sacerdotal  privilege  of  blessing  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Such  a  radical 
difference  in  the  point  of  view  regarding  the  hierarchy  between  the  history  and 
Deuteronomy  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  priestly  legislation  on  the  other,  indicates 
not  only  that  Numbers  and  Deuteronomy  could  hardly  have  originated  at  practi- 
cally the  same  time  and  from  the  same  author,  as  the  traditional  view  holds,  but 
that  all  the  earlier  history  of  Israel  developed  in  the  ignorance  or  entire  absence 
of  any  organic  law  embodying  these  arrangements  of  the  Priest  Code. 

This  noticeable  feature  in  Israelitish  history  needed  to  be  taken  account  of 
here  because  it  has  had  a  large  share  in  provoking  the  discussions  and  conjectures 
on  which  the  belief  in  a  late  compilation  of  the  Pentateuch  is  founded.  In  seek- 
ing for  indications  of  the  time  when  these  Levitical  regulations  began  to  be  en- 
forced in  the  nation's  life,  criticism  has  fixed  upon  the  last  nine  mysterious  chap- 
ters of  the  book  of  Ezekiel  as  very  significant  in  the  pedigree  of  the  Priest  Code. 
Among  the  innovations  introduced  by  that  prophet,  who  is  regarded  as  the  spirit- 
ual father  of  the  Levitical  tendency  in  Judaism,  is  the  important  enactment  in 
44  :  6,  seq.  According  to  this  the  priests  of  the  high  places  and  their  descendants 
are  henceforth  to  do  the  menial  work  of  the  sanctuary  which  has  hitherto  been 


INTRODUCTION  vii 


done  by  uncircumcised  strangers.  They  lose  their  priestly  privileges,  these  hence- 
forth being  reserved  for  the  sons  of  Zadok,  that  is,  the  offspring  of  the  priestly 
families  of  Jerusalem.  This  demand  of  Ezekiel's  is  thought  to  be  the  root  of  the 
distinction,  which  appears  in  full  bloom  in  the  Priest  Code,  between  the  priests  and 
the  Levites.  While  this  exilic  enactment  makes  the  Levite  genetically  a  degraded 
priest — and  the  non-Zadokites  were  so  little  inclined  to  take  up  the  role  assigned 
them  by  Ezekiel  that  only  by  special  measures  were  any  Levites  at  all  induced  to 
return  with  Ezra  (Ezra  8  :  15,  seq.) — the  subsequent  legislation,  completely  formu- 
lated in  Numbers,  finds  other  grounds  for  their  position  as  temple-servants,  and 
introduces  them  to  their  duties  as  to  an  honorable  position  to  which  they  rise  from 
private  life. 

The  probability  emerging  from  the  comparison  of  details  which  present  them- 
selves from  various  parts  of  the  Old  Testament  appears  to  be  :  that  the  completed 
temple  organization  and  ritual,  including  the  relegation  of  the  Levites  to  the  posi- 
tion of  subordinate  helpers  in  the  temple,  did  not  come  into  force  until  after  the 
exile  ;  and  that  in  the  books  of  Leviticus  and  Numbers  which,  availing  themselves 
of  ancient  materials,  were  put  into  shape  after  that  period,  these  priestly  arrange- 
ments were  ascribed  to  Moses  through  a  use  of  legal  formulas  or  fictions  which 
was  a  common  literary  procedure  among  the  nations  of  antiquity. 

The  really  interesting  part  of  the  book  of  Numbers  is  its  narrative  portion  ; 
and  of  this  it  may  be  said,  that  while  criticism  finds  it  more  or  less  composite  in 
its  structure,  criticism  can  scarcely  presume,  in  the  absence  of  contradictory  data, 
to  deny  its  historical  credibility.  On  the  other  hand  the  value  of  those  stories  for 
inspiration  and  admonition  and  the  higher  knowledge  of  God  and  truth — which  is 
really  history's  most  worthy  motive  for  getting  itself  written — is  a  value  which  is 
evinced  in  terms  of  usefulness  for  the  common  man,  and  which  is  not  impaired  by 
a  neglect  to  raise  the  question  whether  all  these  statements  exactly  correspond  to 
happenings  in  an  otherwise  unknown  past.  And  this  introduces  us  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  worth  of  the  book  of  Numbers  to  the  readers  of  a  completed  Bible. 
Whatever  critics  may  make  of  Jewish  history  through  the  careful  analysis  and  re- 
piecing  together  of  the  elements  of  the  old  literature,  for  the  common  reader  of 
later  times  the  book  of  Numbers  always  remains  a  single  whole,  which  produces 
its  impression  in  its  setting  in  the  Bible.  Not  for  these  readers  is  the  task  of  re- 
constructing Israel's  history  on  the  lines  demanded  by  scientific  analysis.  They 
will  ever  take  the  book  as  it  comes,  and  use  it  for  its  value  in  the  common  life  of 
to-day.  The  chemist  may  laboriously  analyze  the  most  beneficent  of  heaven's  gifts 
and  label  it  II2O,  but  to  the  thirsty  it  always  remains  plain  water.  In  the  far  past 
the  streams  of  literary  tendency  now  learnedly  designated  as  J  and  E  and  P  may 
have  produced  their  results  as  separate  currents  of  thought  and  expression,  but  in 
the  providence  of  God  these  streams  came  together  and  were  united  into  a  whole 
which  only  the  acutest  scholarship  can  separate  into  its  parts  ;  and  together  they 
will  remain,  and  will  produce  their  unified  impression,  not  as  fragments  from  the 
post-exilic  period  or  from  the  period  of  the  later  monarchy,  but  as  the  accepted 
history  of  God's  dealings  with  the  children  of  Israel  while  they  were  on  their  way 
from  Egypt  to  the  Promised  Land.  If  the  book  as  we  have  it  is  composite,  and  if 
the  mission  which  God  has  ordained  for  it  is  the  de  facto  indication  of  his  eternal 


viii  INTRODUCTION 


purpose,  then  the  divine  inspiration  by  which  it,  wi'th  all  Scripture,  is  given  must 
be  taken  as  applying  to  the  authors  and  redactors  who  have  fitted  it  in  its 
completed  form  to  inspire  and  teach  the  world. 

While  the  great  outstanding  event  of  Exodus,  after  the  deliverance  from  Egypt 
and  the  Red  Sea,  is  the  giving  of  the  Law,  and  the  local  center  of  Israel's  history 
is  Sinai,  here  in  Numbers  the  local  center  is  Kadesh,  and  the  pivotal  event  of  the 
history  is  the  refusal  to  enter  the  Promised  Land,  with  the  sentence  to  forty  years' 
wandering  in  the  wilderness.  In  Exodus  the  perversity  of  the  nation  was  espe- 
cially manifested  by  their  lapse  into  idolatry  in  making  the  golden  calf,  while  in 
Numbers  it  is  their  unbelief  in  turning  back  from  the  borders  of  Canaan.  Full  of 
the  impressions  derived  from  the  book  of  Exodus,  Stephen  sums  up  the  sin  and 
reprobation  of  Israel  in  that  they  "made  a  calf  in  those  days"  and  were  given 
over  to  serve  the  host  of  heaven  ;  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  on  the 
other  hand,  deriving  spiritual  admonition  from  the  book  of  Numbers,  reminds  the 
Christian  church  of  that  whole  generation  who  hardened  their  hearts  in  the  day 
of  provocation  so  that  God  swore  in  his  wrath  that  they  should  not  enter  into 
his  rest.  That  act  of  unbelief  and  its  punishment  bulks  large  in  the  memory  of 
Israel's  teachers.  The  one  predominant  spiritual  lesson  for  which  the  history  in 
the  book  of  Numbers  stands  in  the  consciousness  of  psalmist  and  apostle  is  that  a 
nation  may  be  undone  through  unbelief,  even  though  it  has  been  ushered  on  a 
career  of  promise  with  the  most  miraculous  tokens  of  special  divine  favor. 

This  critical  event  in  Israel's  history,  with  its  spiritual  lesson,  may  be  taken  as 
the  great  outstanding  feature  by  which  the  book  of  Numbers  is  individualized.  But 
merely  to  individualize  the  book  and  assign  it  to  its  place  in  the  catalogue  of  les- 
sons which  we  credit  God  with  having  taught  mankind,  is  but  the  beginning  of  that 
knowledge  and  profit  which  a  reverent  following  of  its  utterances  with  a  sympa- 
thetic attention  and  a  quickened  imagination  may  be  expected  to  yield.  If  we 
accord  to  the  book  the  simple  treatment  of  reading  it,  in  the  true  sense  of  that 
word,  that  is,  committing  ourselves  to  its  current  and  sharing  its  point  of  view,  as 
every  author  seeks  to  make  his  readers  do — we  shall  find  in  the  book  of  Numbers, 
after  we  have  passed  the  rather  forbidding  statistical  vestibule  of  its  opening  chap- 
ters, a  wealth  of  instruction  and  a  glow  of  human  interest  such  as  belongs  to 
genuine  biography. 

We  have  the  story  of  a  people  wandering  through  a  desert,  thrown  daily  upon 
immediate  divine  guidance  given  in  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire,  and  daily  intro- 
duced to  a  widening  knowledge  of  Jehovah  their  infinite  Saviour.  Their  manifold 
benefits  and  glimpses  of  truth  and  perversities  will  catch  the  attention  of  readers 
with  varying  emphasis  according  to  that  phase  of  human  life  in  which  those  read- 
ers are  interested.  To  the  prophet,  deep  in  his  controversy  with  the  idolatry  of  his 
time,  that  history  was  a  secret  apostasy  from  Jehovah  and  a  cherishing  of  images 
(Amos  5  :  25,  seq.).  To  the  psalmist  it  was  a  life-long  tempting  of  God  as  at  Mas- 
sah  and  Meribah,  so  that  the  divine  estimate  of  them  was  of  a  people  that  do  err 
in  their  heart  and  have  not  known  Jehovah's  ways  (Ps.  95  :  8-11).  The  attention 
of  Paul  was  held  by  their  overthrow  in  the  wilderness,  by  their  greed  at  Kibroth- 
Hattaawah,  by  their  idolatry  at  Sinai,  by  their  impurity  at  Abel-Shittim,  and  by 
their  experience  with  the  fiery  serpents  (see  1  Cor.  10  :  5-9).     To  Jude,  sorely  vexed 


INTRODUCTION  ix 


by  ignorant  railers,  the  venality  of  Balaam  and  the  ambition  of  Korah  furnish  types 
of  the  evils  of  his  time  (Jude  11) ;  while  the  Judaizing  author  of  the  Apocalypse 
finds  in  the  liberal  teachings  of  his  region  a  resemblance  to  that  counsel  of  Balaam 
by  which  the  children  of  Israel  were  beguiled  into  eating  things  sacrificed  to  idols 
(Rev.  2  :  14).  Our  Lord,  full  of  generous  enthusiasm  for  the  salvation  of  the  lost, 
draws  the  most  wonderful  and  effective  of  illustrations  from  the  serpent  lifted  up  in 
the  wilderness  (John  3  :  14,  15).  So  the  long  line  of  biblical  teachers,  casting  their 
eye  over  Israel's  past,  find  in  this  book  of  Numbers  a  veritable  storehouse  of  sug- 
gestion and  admonition  as  the  interests  of  their  respective  circles  fall  to  be  consid- 
ered in  the  light  of  history.  And  we  in  our  turn  may  learn  still  other  lessons  of 
intense  interest  to  the  student  of  human  nature  as  we  follow  attentively  the  glow- 
ing anticipations,  the  misunderstandings  and  perversities  of  that  people  in  those 
days  of  their  discipline  and  spiritual  awakening. 

We  may  take  the  course  of  the  story,  and  even  of  the  priest-legislation  to  some 
degree,  as  following  the  unfolding  of  the  religious  spirit  in  the  nation  as  that  re- 
sponded to  the  influences  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  While  the  children  of  Israel 
were  in  the  camp,  mainly  subjected  to  regulations  looking  toward  order  and  purity 
imposed  upon  them  by  superior  authority,  there  was  not  naturally  so  much  forth- 
putting  of  spontaneous  religious  enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  lay  multitude. 
They  were  having  everything  thought  out  and  planned  for  them.  Such  acts  of 
leligious  devotion  and  love  as  emanated  from  their  own  initiative  were  acts  of 
loyalty  evinced  in  offerings  for  the  tabernacle  and  the  altar,  or  vows  expressive 
of  the  impulse  for  an  extra  sanctity  such  as  might  distinguish  the  devoted  from 
the  common  life.  The  law  of  the  Nazarite,  while  perhaps  belonging  to  a  later 
time,  no  doubt  took  cognizance  of  a  practice  that  grew  up  with  that  impulse  for 
purity  and  separateness  which  was  the  heart  of  the  earlier  Levitical  religion.  So 
even  in  the  priest-legislation  of  the  book  of  Numbers  there  is  a  certain  congruity 
with  the  development  of  religion  in  the  nation.  While  the  people  are  lying  at 
Sinai  the  regulations  recorded  are  for  the  organization  and  policing  of  the  camp,  or 
for  the  fixing  of  the  priest's  share  in  unsatisfied  claims,  or  defining  his  function  as 
the  censor  of  unfaithfulness  in  the  family.  Yet  as  the  time  grows  riper  the  legis- 
lation and  feeling  grow  more  and  more  forward-looking  ;  the  nation's  anticipations 
are  becoming  more  adjusted  to  the  breaking  up  of  the  camp  and  the  living  on  the 
road.  Levites  are  organized  principally  to  carry  the  tabernacle.  By  the  Passover 
and  its  supplemental  ordinance  the  congregation  renews  its  consciousness  as  a  sac- 
ramental host.  The  silver  trumpets  are  fashioned,  and  their  signals  for  raising  the 
camp,  section  by  section,  to  its  feet  are  defined.  The  movements  of  the  cloud  be- 
come associated  with  Jehovah's  will  in  regard  to  the  people's  advance,  and  antici- 
pation is  eagerly  fixed  on  the  majestic  lifting  of  that  symbol  of  the  divine  presence 
which  has  so  long  overshadowed  the  tabernacle. 

Finally  the  glad  sign  of  God's  command  to  move  was  seen  in  the  heavens  ;  the 
cloud  was  lifted  up  from  over  the  sanctuary.  Amid  all  the  bustle  of  taking  down 
the  tabernacle  and  striking  camp — men,  women,  and  children  falling  into  place  in 
the  line  and  catching  wondering  glimpses  of  the  mysterious  ark  which  seemed  to 
be  their  palladium  and  guide — there  are  the  signs  running  through  the  narrative 
of  the  gladdest,  most  expansive  anticipations  and  the  intensest  feeling.     Moses  no 


INTRODUCTION 


doubt  expressed  the  universal  fervor  and  assurance  when  he  said  in  recommending 
Israel's  companionship  to  Hobab,  "We  will  do  thee  good  ;  for  Jehovah  hath  spoken 
good  concerning  Israel."  It  was  a  high  pitch  of  religious  elevation,  a  deep  sense 
of  communion  with  Jehovah,  from  which  could  come  forth  that  majestic  invoca- 
tion in  the  presence  of  the  ark,  ' '  Rise  up,  O  Jehovah,  and  let  thine  enemies  be 
scattered ;  and  let  them  that  hate  thee  flee  before  thee  "  ;  "  Return,  O  Jehovah, 
unto  the  ten  thousands  of  the  thousands  of  Israel." 

The  revulsion  from  the  most  joyous  elation  is  the  intensest  disappointment  and 
depression.  The  mixed  multitude,  unthrilled  by  the  larger  joys  of  the  promised 
rest,  soon  found  intolerable  hardship  in  the  deprivations  of  a  roving  life,  and  their 
blatant  dissatisfaction  ran  like  a  contagion  through  the  camp.  It  must  have  been 
a  tense  feeling,  just  ready  to  break,  which  at  the  first  touch  of  disappointment 
shattered  itself  into  a  perfect  tempest  of  hysterical  grief,  with  every  man  weeping 
at  the  door  of  his  tent.  In  close  association  with  that  high  emotional  tension  came 
the  appointment  of  the  seventy  elders  to  share  Moses'  spirit,  and  their  ecstatic 
prophesying  as  the  greatness  and  glory  of  God  came  before  their  clarified  vision. 
Out  of  that  fervency  of  widespread  faith  came  the  prophetic  impulse  that  pene- 
trated to  the  camp  and  inspired  Eldad  and  Medad  with  a  power  of  utterance  which 
Moses  could  wish  universal.  The  being  on  the  move — the  being  penetrated  with 
the  joys  of  the  future — was  bearing  its  fruit.  It  was  a  kind  of  pentecostal  out- 
pouring in  the  Jewish  church.  In  contrast  to  the  life  of  law,  which  is  yielding  its 
legitimate  fruit  of  restraint  and  loyalty  and  the  passion  for  separateness,  we  begin 
to  see  something  of  the  life  of  faith,  which  is  already  showing  itself  strong  to 
awaken  the  spirit  and  call  forth  conquering  enthusiasm. 

But  the  new  life  of  the  Spirit  has  its  characteristic  problems  and  set-backs ; 
and  these  are  the  same  in  kind  as  those  which  attend  all  outbreaking  of  spontane- 
ous spiritual  power  in  the  midst  of  a  constituency  too  worldly  to  give  it  an  intelli- 
gent reception.  Prophetic  power,  which  to  the  true  insight  of  Moses  was  ideally  an 
endowment  for  all,  was  apprehended  by  Joshua  in  his  zeal  for  the  official  and  me- 
chanical as  a  thing  to  be  repressed  or  confined  in  tactical  bounds  ;  just  as  the  free 
apostolic  Christianity,  which  at  first  blossomed  out  in  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  was  eventu- 
ally tamed  down  under  the  dogmatic  regulation  of  the  Catholic  Church.  To  Miriam 
and  Aaron  that  gift  of  rapturous  speaking,  valued  for  its  distinction  rather  than  for 
its  realization  of  a  higher  life,  presented  itself  as  a  thing  which  it  was  possible  to  make 
general  through  ambition  and  successful  striving.  To  their  imperfectly  reverent 
contention  Jehovah  vouchsafes  an  answer,  describing  prophecy  as  a  divine  revela- 
tion, but  implying  that  its  highest  manifestations,  at  present  monopolized  by  Moses, 
are  those  which  have  most  of  the  regulative  and  prosaically  useful,  and  least  of  the 
ecstatic  and  uncontrollable  and  visionary.  Thus  from  this  early  indication  of  atten- 
tion given  to  the  nature  of  Israel's  distinctive  talent  of  prophecy  we  observe 
embedded  deep  in  Hebrew  thought  the  germ  of  that  principle,  so  well  fitted  to 
curb  extravagancies  and  keep  inspired  instruction  sane  and  useful,  that  the  spirit 
of  the  prophets  is  subject  to  the  prophets. 

But  not  only  is  this  fairest  blossom  of  the  religion  of  faith,  this  marvelous 
endowment  of  prophecy,  made  the  object  of  attention  and  the  subject  of  divine 
instruction,  but  there  are  evidences  that  thought  has  been  expended  and  conclu- 


INTRODUCTION  xi 


sions  reached  as  to  the  ideal  nature  of  the  priesthood.  We  have  already  seen  that 
Levitism  did  not  succeed  in  confining  the  higher  prerogatives  of  the  priesthood, 
the  privilege  of  drawing  nigh  to  the  immediate  presence  of  God,  to  a  narrow  class 
without  a  considerable  convulsion  in  the  nation  of  Israel.  But  the  principle  which 
Korah  found  so  widely  accepted  that  he  could  make  it  a  war-cry  in  his  demagogic 
strike  for  his  own  advancement  was  that  "all  the  congregation  are  holy,  every  one 
of  them,  and  Jehovah  is  among  them."  Here  we  have  the  beginning  of  that  con- 
sciousness in  Israel,  so  uplifting  for  the  spiritual,  that  they  are  a  kingdom  of 
priests  and  a  holy  nation  (Exod.  19  :  6)  ;  but,  like  the  gift  of  prophecy,  we  see  this 
ideal  priestly  privilege  taken  in  hand  by  unspiritual  leaders  and  debased  to  a  thing 
for  the  play  of  ambition  and  contention.  It  was  not  the  principle  of  a  universal 
access  to  God  which  was  condemned  in  the  divine  judgment  on  Korah  and  his  com- 
pany, but  the  impious  employment  of  it  as  a  pretext  in  that  powerful  leader's  con- 
tention for  his  own  selfish  ends.  As  an  ideal  principle  indeed,  it  was  not  yet  ready 
to  come  forth  and  establish  itself  by  a  concrete  and  tangible  molding  of  human 
institutions.  This  would  be  to  sweep  away  all  the  barriers  of  the  holy  place  and 
degrade  the  reverend  sacredness  of  the  temple  to  the  common  level.  Korah  him- 
self did  not  seriously  contemplate  any  such  outcome  of  his  high  assertions.  Levit- 
ism, the  narrow  restriction  of  the  priestly  privilege,  gained  a  momentous  victory  ; 
and  no  doubt  it  was  better  so,  for  God  had  his  use  for  it  in  the  safeguarding  and 
development  of  religion  in  Israel.  The  distinction  between  the  sacred  and  the 
secular  cannot  safely  be  obliterated  until  men  are  heavenly  minded  enough  to  level 
up  into  the  sacred  instead  of  leveling  down  into  the  secular.  But  the  principle  of  a 
universal  priesthood  lay  embedded  in  the  religious  consciousness  as  an  ideal,  now  and 
then  finding  expression  in  the  rapt  utterance  of  psalmist  or  prophet,  but  awaiting 
its  time  to  come  to  the  birth  in  the  working  life  of  the  church,  when  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  by  his  off'ering  of  himself  once  for  all,  and  his  eternal  rending  of  the  veil, 
pronounced  the  divine  sentence  on  all  human  schemes  for  barring  the  common 
approach  to  the  Infinite,  and  proclaimed  immediate  access  to  the  holiest  place  for 
every  one  who  will  draw  nigh  to  God. 

Now  criticism  will  no  doubt  assert  that  these  ideas  regarding  the  nature  of 
prophecy  and  priesthood  belong  to  a  far  later  and  maturer  epoch  than  the  period 
of  the  journey  through  the  wilderness,  and  will  insist  on  stirring  up  the  materials 
anew  and  concocting  a  religious  history  of  Israel  which  shall  be  far  other  in  its 
sequence  than  what  it  appears  upon  its  face.  With  this  assertion  and  demand  we 
have  no  contention  ;  when  our  quest  is  for  the  same  kind  of  knowledge  for  which 
these  scholars  are  delving  we  shall  no  doubt  consider  and  appraise  their  conclu- 
sions. But  meanwhile  we  are  pointing  out  what  a  lifelikeness  and  dramatic 
sequence  the  plain  book  of  Numbers  in  its  setting  in  a  completed  Bible  exhibits. 
We  are  introducing  the  book  to  the  common  reader,  and  inviting  him  to  see  those 
things  of  eternal  interest  and  value  which  that  book  has  from  time  immemorial  been 
placing  within  his  reach.  Let  him  insist  on  his  right  to  read  and  enjoy  and  profit, 
undisturbed  by  the  question  whether  he  is  reading  contemporaneously  written  his- 
tory or  not.  He  is  at  least  reading  a  marvelous  narration  of  a  divine  guidance  of 
Israel  through  their  forty  years'  wandering  in  the  desert ;  and  no  recasting  of  the  his- 
tory or  resetting  as  to  its  age  can  make  the  book  any  more  inspiring  or  spiritually 


xii  INTRODUCTION 


helpful.     These  things  happened  unto  them  as  types,  and  they  were  written  for 
our  admonition  upon  whom  the  ends  of  the  ages  are  come. 

The  Bible  is  a  live  book.  That  which  is  alive  moves.  To  get  the  benefit  of 
companionship  with  that  which  is  alive  and  moving  we  must  accompany  it  and 
move  along  with  it.  This  is  what  true  reading  is — the  entering  into  and  moving 
with  the  mind  of  the  author,  who  would  transfer  us  to  his  point  of  view  and  place 
truth  before  us.  We  may  dissect  and  learn  the  anatomy  of  the  book  also  ;  and  this 
knowledge  is  interesting  in  its  sphere.  The  commentary  here  placed  before  the 
reader  is  not  without  its  exhibitions  of  the  results  of  critical  dissection.  But  we 
dissect  only  the  dead  body  ;  and  we  must  not  think  that  dissection  of  the  dead  can 
give  the  same  results  as  communion  with  the  living.  May  the  day  be  far  dis- 
tant when  the  Bible  shall  become  for  Western  Christendom  only  a  cadaver,  the 
prey  of  dissection  and  analysis  and  criticism,  a  thing  to  be  endlessly  studied  about, 
but  never  to  be  studied  or  communed  with  in  its  own  living  body  and  spirit.  It 
will  do  the  full  good  which  its  divine  Inspirer  intended  only  as  it  is  a  live  book,  a 
speaking  companion,  approached  and  appreciated  through  that  naive  power  to 
merge  the  willing  mind  in  its  current  of  thought  and  imagery  which  the  coldly 
critical  habit  can  only  do  us  infinite  harm  by  taking  away.  Thus  read  and  appre- 
ciated, not  the  least  inspiring  and  vitally  helpful  of  the  sixty-six  books  in  our  canon 
will  be  found  to  be  the  divinely  given  book  of  Numbers. 


NUMBERS 


CHAPTER    I 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai,  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
on  the  first  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  second 
year  after  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
saying, 

2  Take  ye  the  sum  of  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  after  their  families,  by  the  house 
of  their  fathers,  with  the  number  of  their  names, 
every  male  by  their  polls  ; 

3  From  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that 
are  able  to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel :  thou  and 
Aaron  shall  number  them  by  their  armies. 

4  And  with  you  there  shall  be  a  man  of  every 
tribe  ;  every  one  head  of  the  house  of  his  fathers. 

5  And  these  are  the  names  of  the  men  that  shall 
stand  with  you :  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  ;  Elizur  the 
son  of  Shedeur. 

6  Of  Simeon ;  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai. 

7  Of  Judah  ;  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab. 

8  Of  Issachar  ;  Nethaneel  the  son  of  Zuar. 

9  Of  Zebulun  :  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai,  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  on  the  first 
day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  second  year 
after  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 

2  saying.  Take  ye  the  sum  of  all  the  congregation 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  by  their  families,  by 
their  fathers'  houses,  according  to  the  number 

3  of  the  names,  every  male,  by  their  polls  ;  from 
twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  are  able 
to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel,  thou  and  Aaron 

4  shall  number  them  by  their  hosts.  And  with 
you  there  shall  be  a  man  of  every  tribe  ;  every 

5  one  head  of  his  fathers'  house.  And  these  are 
the  names  of  the  men  that  shall  stand  with  you  : 

6  of  Reuben  ;  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur.  Of 
Simeon  ;    Shelumiel    the    son  of    Zurishaddai. 

7  Of  Judah  ;   Nahshon  the  son  of   Amminadab. 
8,  9  Of  Issachar  ;  Nethanel  the  son  of  Zuar.    Of 


PART  FIRST. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  DEPARTURE  FROM  SINAI, 
CHAPTERS  1  TO  10  :  10. 


The  book  of  Numbers  is  more  composite  in  its 
structure  than  the  book  of  Leviticus,  which  ap- 
pears to  be  almost  solely  derived  from  the  priest- 
legislation,  including  the  distinct  stratum  known 
as  the  Law  of  Holiness.  The  structure  of  Num- 
bers more  nearly  resembles  that  of  Exodus, 
having  passages  woven  in  from  the  JE  docu- 
ment. The  latter  part  of  the  book  shows  signs 
here  and  there  of  a  still  more  composite  struc- 
ture. Some  brief  passages  are  quoted  from  what 
is  probably  the  very  oldest  Hebrew  literature 
extant,  as,  for  instance,  the  obscure  fragment 
from  the  "  Book  of  the  "Wars  of  Jehovah,"  in 
21  :  14,  and  perhaps  also  the  "  Well  Song  "  and 
the  taunting  Proverb  song  in  the  same  chapter 
(ver.  17,  18,  27-30).  The  Balaam  discourses,  on 
the  other  hand  (23:7-10,18-24;  24:3-9,15-24),  are 
quite  generally  regarded  by  critics  as  reflecting 
a  national  enthusiasm  and  sense  of  victorious 
greatness  such  as  came  to  the  nation  later,  say 
after  the  victories  of  David.  All  this  first  part, 
however,  with  the  additional  verses  to  10  :  28, 
appears  to  be  derived  from  P,  and  to  have  for 
its  main  topic  the  disposition  of  the  camp  and 
the  duties  of  the  Levites.  The  preparation  for 
the  journey  from  Sinai  is  represented  as  occu- 
pying twenty  days  (comp.  1  :  iwuh  10  :  11), 


Chap.  1.     The  census  op  the  twelve 

TRIBES  EXCLUSIVE  OF  THE  TRIBE  OP  LEVI. 
1-19,  The  command  to  take  the  census  is  given 
in  the  tent  of  meeting.  In  like  manner  the 
commands  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  purport  to 
have  been  spoken  out  of  the  tent  of  meeting  (see 
Lev.  1:1).  1,  The  first  day  of  the  second 
month.  It  is  now  one  month  since  the  taber- 
nacle was  set  up  (see  Exod.  40  :  2,  17),  and  the 
revelation  of  the  book  of  Leviticus  is  repre- 
sented as  having  been  given  in  that  time,  that 
is,  after  the  tent  of  meeting  was  completed  and 
while  the  children  of  Israel  were  still  at  Sinai 

(see  Lev.  1:1;    26  :  46  ;   27  :  34). 

This  census  appears  to  have  been  for  civil  and 
military  purposes  and  to  be  little  more  than  a 
registering  according  to  tribes  and  families  of 
results  already  obtained  in  connection  with  the 
levying  of  the  half-shekel  sanctuary  tax  nine 

months    before     (Exod.    so  :  ll  seq.  ;     38:25-28).         No 

change  in  the  total  number  is  noted  (cf.  ver.  46 
with  Exod.  38 :  26)^  though  Considerable cliauges,  by 
death  and  by  coming  of  age,  could  not  fail  to 
have  occurred  in  three-quarters  of  a  year  in  a 
population  of  over  six  hundred  thousand  adult 
males.  If  no  new  enumeration  was  made  but 
only  the  making  out  of  a  muster  roll  by  tribes 

13 


14 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  I. 


10  Of  the  children  of  Joseph:  of  Ephraim  ;  Elish- 
ama  the  son  of  Ammihud :  of  Manasseh  ;  Gamaliel 
the  son  of  Pedahzur. 

11  Of  Benjamin  ;  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni. 

12  Of  Dan  ;  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai. 

13  Of  Asher  ;  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocrau. 

14  Of  Gad  ;  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel. 

15  Of  Naphtali ;  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan. 

16  These  were  the  renowned  of  the  congregation, 
princes  of  the  tribes  of  their  fathers,  heads  of  thou- 
sands in  Israel. 

17  And  Moses  and  Aaron  took  these  men  which 
are  expressed  by  their  names  : 

18  And  they  assembled  all  the  congregation 
together  on  the  first  day  of  the  second  month,  and 
they  declared  their  pedigrees  after  their  families, 
by  the  house  of  their  fathers,  according  to  the 
number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and 
upward,  by  their  polls. 

19  As  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  he  num- 
bered them  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 

20  And  the  children  of  Reuben,  Israel's  eldest 
son,  by  their  generations,  after  their  families,  by 
the  house  of  their  fathers,  according  lo  the  number 
of  the  names,  by  their  polls,  every  male  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth 
to  war ; 

21  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of  the 
tribe  of  Reuben,  were  forty  and  six  thousand  and 
five  hundred. 

22  Of  the  children  of  Simeon,  by  their  genera- 
tions, after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  by  their  polls, 
every  male  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all 
that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 

23  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Simeon,  were  fifty  and  nine  thousand 
and  three  hundred. 

24  Of  the  children  of  Gad,  by  their  generations, 
after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their  fathers, 
according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth 
to  war ; 

25  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of  the 
tribe  of  Gad,  were  forty  and  five  thousand  six  hun- 
dred and  fifty. 

26  Of  the  children  of  Judah,  by  their  genera- 
tions, after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war ; 

27  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of  the 
tribe  of  .Tudah,  were  threescore  and  fourteen  thou- 
sand and  six  hundred. 

28  Of  the  children  of  Issachar,  by  their  genera- 
tions, after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 


10  Zebulun  ;  Eliab  the  son  of  Helen.  Of  the  chil- 
dren of  Joseph  :  of  Ephraim  ;  Elishama  the  son 
of  Ammihud  :  of  Manasseh  ;  Gamaliel  the  son 

11  of  Pedahzur.    Of  Benjamin  ;  Abidan  the  son  of 

12  Gideoni.    Of   Dan  ;  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammi- 

13  shaddai.    Of  Asher;  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ochran. 
14,  15  Of   Gad  ;    Eliasaph  the  son  of   Deuel.     Of 

16  Naphtali ;  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan.  These  are 
they  that  were  called  of  the  congregation,  the 
princes  of  the  tribes  of  their  fathers  ;  they  were 

17  the  heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel.  And  Moses 
and  Aaron  took  these  men  which  are  expressed 

18  by  name :  and  they  assembled  all  the  congrega- 
tion together  on  the  first  day  of  the  second 
month,  and  they  declared  their  pedigrees  after 
their  families,  by  their  fathers'  nouses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 

19  years  old  and  upward,  by  their  polls.  As  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  he  numbered  them 
in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 

20  And  the  children  of  Reuben,  Israel's  firstborn, 
their  generations,  by  their  families,  by  their 
fathers'  houses,  according  to  the  number  of  the 
names,  by  their  polls,  every  male  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 

21  forth  to  war ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  were  forty  and  six  thou- 
sand and  five  hundred. 

22  Of  the  children  of  Simeon,  their  generations, 
by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  those 
that  were  numbered  thereof,  according  to  the 
number  of  the  names,  by  their  polls,  every  male 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 

23  able  to  go  forth  to  war ;  those  that  were  num- 
bered of  them,  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  were  fifty 
and  nine  thousand  and  three  hundred. 

24  Of  the  children  of  Gad,  their  generations,  by 
their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  according 
to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years 
old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to 

25  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  of  the 
tribe  of  Gad,  were  forty  and  five  thousand  six 
hundred  and  fifty. 

26  Of  the  children  of  Judah,  their  generations, 
by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 

27  forth  to  war ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  were  threescore  and  four- 
teen thousand  and  six  hundred. 

28  Of  the  children  of  Issachar,  their  generations, 
by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 


and  families,  it  may  easily  have  been  a  matter 
of  only  a  day's  work,  as  seems  to  be  implied  in 
ver.  18,  as  the  public  part  of  this  day's  work 
would  be  only  the  "declaring"  or  reporting  of 
data  already  made  up  in  the  tribal  organizations. 
The  matter  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  tribal  heads 
instead  of  in  those  of  the  Levites,  under  whom 
the  hulf-shekel  assessment  was  made. 

10.  The  men  who  were  employed  by  Moses 
and  Aaron  to  assist  in  the  census  are  desig- 
nated as  called  men  of  the  congregation — ?'.  e. 
men  who  were  called  to  congregational  assem- 
l)lios  as  representativesof  their  tribes — princes 
of  the  tribes  of  their  fathers,  heads  of 
the  thousands  in  Israel.    They  may  have 


been  the  rulers  of  thousands  suggested  by  Jethro 
as  associated  judges  with  Moses  in  settling  dis- 
putes (see  Exod.  18 :  21 ).  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the 
Deuteronomist  represents  the  appointment  of 
judges  as  taking  place  at  this  time,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  divine  command  to  mobilize  the 
nation,  instead  of  at  the  previous  time  apparently 
indicated  in  Exodus  (see  oeut.  i  :9-i4). 

One  of  these  men,  Nahshon  (ver.  7),  was  a 
brother-in-law  of  Aaron  (Exod.  6  :  23)  and  ances- 
tor of  David,  and  one,  Elishama  (ver.  10)  ^  was 
grandfather  of  Joshua  (1  Chron.  7  :  26,  27). 

20-46.  The  numbering .  In  connection  with 
the  peculiar  identity  of  numerical  results, 
already  noted,   with  those  of  the  half-shekel 


Ch.  I.] 


NUMBERS 


15 


29  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Issachar,  were  fifty  and  four  thousand 
and  four  hundred. 

30  Of  the  children  of  Zebulun,  by  their  genera- 
tions, after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 

31  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  were  fifty  and  seven  thousand 
and  four  hundred. 

32  Of  the  children  of  Joseph,  namely,  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Ephraim,  by  their  generations,  after  their 
families,  by  the  house  of  their  fathers,  according 
to  the  num'ber  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old 
and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 

33  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  were  forty  thousand  and  five 
hundred. 

34  Of  the  children  of  Manasseh,  by  their  genera- 
tions, after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 

35  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  were  thirty  and  two  thousand 
and  two  hundred, 

36  Of  the  children  of  Benjamin,  by  their  genera- 
tions, after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 

37  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  were  thirty  and  five  thousand 
and  four  hundred. 

38  Of  the  children  of  Dan,  by  their  generations, 
after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their  fathers, 
according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth 
to  war; 

39  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Dan,  ivere  threescore  and  two  thousand 
and  seven  hundred. 

40  Of  the  children  of  Asher,  by  their  generations, 
after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their  fathers, 
according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth 
to  war ; 

41  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  even  of 
the  tribe  of  Asher,  were  forty  and  one  thousand  and 
five  hundred. 

42  Of  the  children  of  Naphtali,  throughout  their 
generations,  after  their  families,  by  the  house  of 
their  fathers,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war  ; 

43  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  eveii  of 
the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  were  fifty  and  three  thousand 
and  four  hundred. 

44  These  are  those  that  were  numbered,  which 
Moses  and  Aaron  numbered,  and  the  princes  of 
Israel,  being  twelve  men  :  each  one  was  for  the 
house  of  his  fathers. 

45  So  were  all  those  that  were  numbered  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  by  the  house  of  their  fathers, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 
able  to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel ; 

46  Even  all  they  that  were  numbered  were  six 
hundred  thousand  and  three  thousand  and  five 
hundred  and  fifty. 


29  forth  to  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  were  fifty  and  four 
thousand  and  four  hundred. 

30  Of  the  children  of  Zebulun,  their  generations, 
by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 

31  forth  to  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  were  fifty  and  seven 
thousand  and  four  hundred. 

32  Of  the  children  of  Joseph,  namely,  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Ephraim,  their  generations,  by  their 
families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  according  to 
the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old 
and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go  forth  to 

33  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  of  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim,  were  forty  thousand  and  five 
hundred. 

34  Of  the  children  of  Manasseh,  their  genera- 
tions, by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses, 
according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from 
twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able 

35  to  go  forth  to  war;  those  that  were  numbered  of 
them,  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  were  thirty  and 
two  thousand  and  two  hundred. 

36  Of  the  children  of  Benj  amin,  their  generations, 
by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all   that  were  able  to  go 

37  forth  to  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of 
them,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  were  thirty  and 
five  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

38  Of  the  children  of  Dan,  their  generations,  by 
their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 

39  forth  to  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  were  threescore  and  two 
thousand  and  seven  hundred. 

40  Of  the  children  of  Asher,  their  generations,  by 
their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 

41  forth  to  war;  those  that  were  numbered  of 
them,  of  the  tribe  of  Asher.  were  forty  and  one 
thousand  and  five  hundred. 

42  Of  the  children  of  Naphtali,  their  generations, 
by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were  able  to  go 

43  forth  to  war  ;  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  were  fifty  and  three 
thousand  and  four  hundred. 

44  These  are  they  that  were  numbered,  which 
Moses  and  Aaron  numbered,  and  the  princes  of 
Israel,  being  twel  ve  men  :  they  were  each  one  for 

45  his  fathers' house.  Po  all  they  that  were  numbered 
of  the  children  of  Israel  by  their  fathers'  houses, 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  that  were 

46  able  to  go  forth  to  war  in  Israel ;  even  all  they 
that  were  numbered  were  six  hundred  thousand 
and  three  thousand  and  five  hundred  and  fifty. 


assessment,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  minute  exact- 
ness does  not  appear  to  be  aimed  at.  The  footing 
of  each  of  the  tribal  enumerations  is  made  up 
according  to  some  system  of  round  numbers 
which  gives  even  hundreds  for  each  of  the  tribes 
except  the  tribe  of  Gad  (ver.  25)  ^  and  this  tribe 
sums  up  even  half-hundreds.  Attempts  to  ac- 
count for  this  reckoning  by  round  numbers  as 


the  result  of  the  classification  of  the  nation  for 
the  administration  of  justice  into  thousands, 
hundreds,  fifties,  and  tens  (Exod.  is  -.25)^  or  as  a 
military  enumeration  by  fifties,  or  as  a  neglect- 
ing of  supernumerary  units  by  way  of  allowing 
for  shrinkage  in  the  number  of  effectives  for 
war  through  physical  disability,  are  purely 
conjectural. 


16 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  II. 


47  But  the  Levites  after  the  tribe  of  their  fathers 
were  not  numbered  among  them. 

48  For  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  Moses,  saying, 

49  Only  thou  shalt  not  number  the  tribe  of  Levi, 
neither  take  the  sum  of  them  among  the  children 

50  But  thou  Shalt  appoint  the  Levites  over  the 
tabernacle  of  testimouy,  and  over  all  the  vessels 
thereof,  and  over  all  things  that  helung  to  it :  they 
shall  bear  the  tabernacle,  and  all  the  vessels  there- 
of ;  and  they  shall  minister  unto  it,  and  shall  eu- 
ciimp  round  about  the  tabernacle. 

51  And  when  the  tabernacle  setteth  forward,  the 
Leviies  shall  take  it  down:  and  when  the  taber- 
nacle is  to  be  pitched,  the  Levites  shall  set  it  up : 
and  the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to 
death. 

52  And  the  children  of  Israel  shall  pitch  their 
tents,  every  man  by  his  own  camp,  and  every  man 
by  his  own  standard,  throughout  their  hosts. 

53  But  the  Levites  shall  pitch  round  about  the 
tabernacle  of  testimony,  that  there  be  no  wrath 
upon  the  congiegatiou  of  the  children  of  Israel: 
and  the  Levites  siiall  keep  the  charge  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  testimony. 

54  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  according  to 
all  that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  did  they. 


47  But  the  Levites  after  the  tribe  of  their  fathers 

48  were  not  numbered  among  them.    For  the  Lord 

49  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Only  the  tribe  of  Levi 
thou  shalt  not  number,  neither  shalt  thou  take 
the  sum  of  them  among  the  children  of  Israel : 

50  but  appoint  thou  the  Levites  over  the  tabernacle 
of  the  testimony,  and  over  all  the  furniture 
thereof,  and  over  all  that  belongeth  to  it :  they 
shall  bear  the  tabernacle,  and  all  the  furniture 
thereof ;   and   they  shall  minister  unto  it,  and 

51  shall  encamp  round  about  the  tabernacle.  And 
when  the  tabernacle  setteth  forward,  the  Levites 
shall  take  it  down  :  and  when  the  tabernacle  is 
to  be  pitched,  the  Levites  shall  set  it  up:  and 
the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to 

52  death.  And  the  children  of  Israel  shall  pitch 
their  tents,  every  man  by  his  own  camp,  and 
every  man  by  his  own  standard,  according  to 

53  their  hosts.  But  the  Levites  shall  pitch  round 
about  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony,  that  there 
be  no  wrath  upon  the  congregation  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  and  the  Levites  shall  keep  the 

54  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimouy.  Thus 
did  the  children  of  Israel ;  according  to  all  that 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  did  they. 


CHAPTER    II. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 
Aaron,  saying, 

2  Every  man  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  pitch 
by  his  own  standard,  with  the  ensign  of  their 
father's  house :  far  off  about  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  shall  they  pitch. 

3  And  on  the  east  side  toward  the  rising  of  the 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 

2  Aaron,  saying.  The  children  of  Israel  shall  pitch 
every  man  by  his  own  standard,  with  the  en- 
signs of  their  fathers'  houses  :  over  against  the 
tent  of  meeting  shall  they  pitch  round  about. 

3  And  those  that  pitch  on  the  east  side  toward  the 


According  to  the  usual  proportion  of  adult 
males  to  the  w'hole  population,  the  total  number 
of  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  was 
something  over  two  millions. 

47-54.  The  Levites.  The  Levites  here 
means  the  whole  tribe,  including  the  priests. 
The  setting  apart  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  for  the 
care  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  specific  duties  of 
each  of  the  three  subdivisions  of  the  tribe  in 
connection  with  its  taking  down,  its  setting  up, 
and  its  transportation,  are  related  in  chap.  3 
and  4.  It  is  usually  the  way  of  P  to  use  the 
term  "Levites"  in  the  sense  of  these  subordi- 
nate helpers  in  the  sanctuary  alone,  exclusive 
of  the  priests,  and  this  differentiation  of  Levites 
from  priests  is  thought  to  mark  a  later  arrange- 
ment than  that  of  the  times  of  Deuteronomy. 
Here,  however,  the  whole  tribe  is  obviously 
meant.  The  Levites  are  not  mustered  among 
those  liable  to  military  duty  because  they  are 
devoted  to  the  tabernacle,  and  their  place  in  the 
camp  is  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  They  are 
not  only  to  have  the  exclusive  right  of  handling 
the  sacred  things  (ver.  5i)  but  by  their  proximity 
to  the  sanctuary  they  also  act  as  a  guard  to  pre- 
vent such  careless  profanations  as  might  bring 
down  the  wrath  of  God  on  the   congregation 

(ver.  53). 


Chap,  2.  Order  of  the  tribes  in  the 

CAMP    AND    ON    THE    MARCH.       1.    The    WOrd 


standard)  7J/T,  degel,  designates  the  conspicu- 
ous object,  probably  waving  flag,  to  which  each 
of  the  four  camps  was  to  rally,  while  the  en- 
sign, or  sign,  filiX  'oth,  was  the  distinguishing 
mark  or  badge  of  the  tribe  or  family.  The  four 
standards,  while  each  constituting  the  rallying 
sign  for  the  three  tribes  composing  its  camp, 
were  probably  identical  with  the  standards  of 
the  leading  or  naming  tribes  in  their  respective 
groups.  Thus  the  camp  of  Judah  would  rally- 
around  the  standard  of  the  tribe  of  Judah ;  and 
so  also  for  the  camps  of  Eeuben,  Ephraim,  and 
Dan.  Eabbinic  tradition  has  associated  these 
standards  with  the  four  cherubic  forms  of  Eze- 
kiel's  vision  (Ezek.  i  =  lo),  making  the  emblem  of 
Judah  the  lioyi  in  accordance  with  Gen.  49  :  9, 
that  of  Pv-euben  the  head  of  a  man,  because  he 
was  the  firstborn  or  head,  that  of  Ephraim  the 
bull,  as  suggested  by  Deut.  33  :  17,  and  that  of 
Dan  the  eagle  as  the  greatest  enemy  of  the  ser- 
pent (cf.  Gen.  49  :  17).  2.  Far  off,  rather,  over 
against,  i.  e.,  fronting  the  tabernacle,  though  at 
a  sufiicient  interval  to  allow  of  the  camp  of  the 
Levites  between  it  and  the  tent  of  meeting.  In 
Joshua's  line  of  march  the  interval  between  the 
nearest  tribe  and  the  ark  was  two  thousand 

cubits  (see  Josh.  3:4). 

3-34.  The  style  of  these  first  chapters  is 
very  diffuse.  This  second  chapter  repeats  all 
the  numbers  given  in  chap.  1,  and  all  the  names 
of  the  tribal  princes,  these  being  first  mentioned 


Ch.  Ill] 


NUMBERS 


17 


sun  shall  they  of  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Ju- 
dah  pitch  throughout  their  armies  :  and  Nahshon 
the  son  of  Amminadab  shall  be  captain  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Judah. 

4  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered  of 
them,  were  threescore  and  fourteen  thousand  and 
six  hundred. 

5  And  those  that  do  pitch  next  unto  him  shall  be 
the  tribe  of  Issachar:  and  Nethaneel  the  son  of 
Zuar  shall  be  captain  of  the  children  of  Issachar. 

6  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
thereof,  were  fifty  and  four  thousand  and  four 
hundred. 

7  Then  the  tribe  of  Zebulun :  and  Eliab  the  son 
of  Helon  shall  be  captain  of  the  children  of  Zebulun. 

8  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
thereof,  were  fifty  and  seven  thousand  and  four 
hundred. 

9  All  that  were  numbered  in  the  camp  of  Judah 
were  an  hundred  thousand  and  fourscore  thousand 
and  six  thousand  and  four  hundred,  throughout 
their  armies.    These  shall  first  set  forth. 

10  On  the  south  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Reuben  according  to  their  armies:  and 
the  captain  of  the  children  of  Reuben  shall  be 
Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur. 

11  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
thereof,  were  forty  and  six  thousand  and  five 
hundred. 

12  And  those  which  pitch  by  him  shall  be  the 
tribe  of  Simeon  :  and  the  captain  of  the  children  of 
Simeon  shall  be  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai. 

13  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  fifty  and  nine  thousand  and  three 
hundred. 

14  Then  the  tribe  of  Gad  :  and  the  captain  of  the 
sons  of  Gad  shall  be  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Reuel. 

15  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  forty  and  five  thousand  and  six  hun- 
dred and  fifty. 

16  All  that  were  numbered  in  the  camp  of  Reu- 
ben were  an  hundred  thousand  and  fifty  and  one 
thousand  and  four  hundred  and  fifty,  throughout 
their  armies.  And  they  shall  set  forth  in  the  second 
rank. 

17  Then  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  shall 
set  forward  with  the  camp  of  the  Levites  in  the  midst 
of  the  camp:  as  they  encamp,  so  shall  they  set 
forward,  every  man  in  his  place  by  their  standards. 

18  On  the  west  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Ephraim  according  to  their  armies :  and 
the  captain  of  the  sons  of  Ephraim  shallbe  Elishama 
the  son  of  Ammihud. 

19  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  forty  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

20  And  by  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of  Manasseh : 
and  the  captain  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  shall 
be  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur. 

21  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  thirty  and  two  thousand  and  two 
hundred. 

22  Then  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  :  and  the  captain 
of  the  sons  of  Benjamin  shall  be  Abidau  the  son  of 
Gideoni. 

23  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  thirty  and  five  thousand  and  four 
hundred. 

24  All  that  were  numbered  of  the  camp  of 
Ephraim  were  an  hundred  thousand  and  eight  thou- 
sand and  an  hundred,  throughout  their  armies. 
And  they  shall  go  forward  in  the  third  rank. 


sunrising  shall  be  they  of  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Judah,  according  to  their  hosts  :  and 
the  prince  of  the  children  of  Judah  shall  be 

4  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab,  And  his  host, 
and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were 
threescore  and  fourteen  thousand  and  six  huu- 

5  dred.  And  those  that  pitch  next  unto  him  shall 
be  the  tribe  of  Issachar :  and  the  prince  of  the 
children  of  Issachar  shall  be  Nethanel  the  son 

6  of  Zuar :  and  his  host,  and  those  that  were  num- 
bered thereof,  were  fifty  and  four  thousand  and 

7  four  hundred :  and  the  tribe  of  Zebulun :  and 
the  prince  of  the  children  of  Zebulun  shall  be 

8  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon  :  and  his  host,  and  those 
that  were   numbered    thereof,  were   fifty  and 

9  seven  thousand  and  four  hundred.  All  that 
were  numbered  of  the  camp  of  Judah  were  an 
hundred  thousand  and  fourscore  thousand  and 
six  thousand  and  four  hundred,  according  to 
their  hosts.    They  shall  set  forth  first. 

10  On  the  south  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Reuben  according  to  their  hosts  :  and 
the  prince  of  the  children  of  Reuben  shall  be 

11  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur.  And  his  host,  and 
those  that  were  numbered  thereof,  were  forty 

12  and  six  thousand  and  five  hundred.  And 
those  that  pitch  next  unto  him  shall  be  the 
tribe  of  Simeon  :  and  the  prince  of  the  children 
of  Simeon  shall  be  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zuri- 

13  shaddai :  and  his  host,  and  those  that  were 
numbered  of  them,  were  fifty  and  nine  thou- 

14  sand  and  three  hundred  :  and  the  tribe  of  Gad  : 
and  the  prince  of  the  children  of  Gad  shall  be 

15  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Reuel :  and  his  host,  and 
those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were  forty 
and  five  thousand  and  six  hundred  and  fifty. 

16  All  that  were  numbered  of  the  camp  of  Reuben 
were  an  hundred  thousand  and  fifty  and  one 
thousand  and  four  hundred  and  fifty,  according 
to  their  hosts.    And  they  shall  set  forth  second. 

17  Then  the  tent  of  meeting  shall  set  forward, 
with  the  camp  of  the  Levites  in  the  midst  of  the 
camps :  as  they  encamp,  so  shall  they  set  for- 
ward, every  man  in  his  place,  by  their  standards. 

18  On  the  west  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Ephraim  according  to  their  hosts  :  and 
the  prince  of  the  children  of  Ephraim  shall  be 

19  Elishama  the  son  of  Ammihud.  And  his  host, 
and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were 

20  forty  thousand  and  five  hundred.  And  next 
unto  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  :  and 
the  prince  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  shall  be 

21  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur  :  and  his  host, 
and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were 

22  thirty  and  two  thousand  and  two  hundred  :  and 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin:  and  the  prince  of  the 
children  of  Benjamin  shall  be  Abidan  the  son  of 

23  Gideoni :  and  his  host,  and  those  that  were  num- 
bered of  them,  were  thirty  and  five  thousand 

24  and  four  hundred.  All  that  were  numbered  of 
the  camp  of  Ephraim  were  an  hundred  thou- 
sand and  eight  thousand  and  an  hundred,  ac- 
cording to  their  hosts.  And  they  shall  set  forth 
third. 


as  the  men  chosen  for  each  of  the  tribes  to  assist 
in  the  census.  The  only  thing  which  this  chap- 
ter adds  to  the  information  given  in  chap.  1  is 
the  order  in  the  camp  and  on  the  march. 

Judah,  the  largest  tribe,  with  the  other  tribes 
forming  his  camp,  takes  the  post  of  honor  on 
the  east  or  front  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and 
the  van  on  the  march.    The  second  and  thi);d, 


or  south  and  west  camps,  headed  respectively 
by  Reuben  and  Ephraim,  are  the  smallest  in 
number;  while  the  rear  is  guarded  on  the 
march  by  the  strong  camp  of  Dan.  In  the  order 
of  the  march  the  tabernacle  with  the  priests  and 
the  attendant  tribe  of  non-combatant  Levites 
comes  between  the  second  and  third  camps.  In 
the  first  camp  Judah  associates  with  himself 


18 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  III. 


25  The  standard  of  the  camp  of  Dan  shall  be  on 
tlie  north  side  by  their  armies :  and  the  captain  of 
tlie  children  of  Dan  shall  be  Ahiezer  the  sou  of  Am- 
mishaddai.  ,    ^  v,      ^ 

26  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  tlueescore  and  two  thousand  and 
seven  hundred.  ^   „  x.    ^i, 

27  And  those  that  encamp  by  him  shall  be  the 
tribe  of  Asher  :  and  the  captain  of  the  children  of 
Asher  shall  be  Pagiel  the  sou  of  Ocrau. 

26  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  forty  and  one  thousand  and  five 
hundred. 

29  Then  the  tribe  of  Naphtali :  and  the  captain 
of  the  children  of  Naphtali  shall  be  Ahira  tlie  sou  of 
Jiuaii. 

30  And  his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  were  fifty  and  three  thousand  and  four 
hundred. 

31  All  they  that  were  numbered  in  the  camp  of 
Dan  were  an  hundred  thousand  and  fifty  and  seven 
thousand  and  six  hundred.  They  shall  go  hind- 
most with  their  standards. 

82  These  are  those  which  were  numbered  of  the 
children  of  Israel  by  the  house  of  their  fathers  :  all 
those  that  were  numbered  of  the  camps  throughout 
their  hosts  were  six  hundred  thousand  and  three 
thousand  and  five  hundred  and  fifty. 

33  But  the  Levites  were  not  numbered  among 
the  children  of  Israel ;  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 

34  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  according  to  all 
that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  :  so  they  pitched 
by  their  standards,  and  so  they  set  forward,  every 
one  after  their  families,  according  to  the  house  of 
their  fathers. 


25  On  the  north  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  Dan  according  to  their  hosts :  and  the 
prince  of  the  children  of  Dan  shall  be  Ahiezer 

26  the  son  of  Ammishaddai.  And  his  host,  and 
those  that  were  numbered  of  tliem,  were  three- 
score and  two  thousand  and  seven   hundred. 

27  And  those  that  pitch  next  unto  hira  shall  be  the 
tribe  of  Asher:  and  the  prince  of  the  children 

28  of  Asher  shall  be  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ochran  :  and 
his  host,  and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
were  forty  and  one  thousand  and  five  hundred  : 

29  and  the  tribe  of  Naphtali :  and  the  prince  of  the 
children  of  Naphtali  shall  be  Ahira  the  son  of 

30  Euan :  and  his  host,  and  those  that  were  num- 
bered of  tliem,  were  fifty  and  three  thousand 

31  and  four  hundred.  All  that  were  numbered  of 
the  camp  of  Dan  were  an  hundred  thousand  and 
fifty  and  seven  thousand  and  six  hundred.  They 
shall  set  forth  hindmost  by  their  standards. 

32  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the 
children  of  Israel  by  their  fathers'  houses:  all 
that  were  numbered  of  the  camps  according  to 
their  hosts  were  six  hundred  thousand  and  three 

.33  thousand  and  five  hundred  and  fifty.  But  the 
Levites  were  not  numbered  among  the  children 

34  of  Israel;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses.  Thus 
did  the  children  of  Israel ;  according  to  all  that 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  they  pitched  by 
their  standards,  and  so  they  set  forward,  every 
one  by  their  families,  according  to  their  fathers' 
houses. 


CHAPTER    III. 


1  THESE  also  are  the  generations  of  Aaron  and 
Moses  in  the  day  that  the  Lord  spake  with  Moses  in 
mount  Sinai. 

2  And  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Aaron  ; 
Nadab  the  firstborn,  and  Abihu,  Eleazar,  and 
Ithamar. 

3  These  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Aaron,  the 
priests  which  were  anointed,  whom  he  consecrated 
to  minister  in  the  priest's  office. 


1  NOW  these  are  the  generations  of  Aaron  and 
Moses  in  the  day  that  the  Lord  spake  with  Moses 

2  in  mount  Sinai.  And  these  are  the  names  of  the 
sons  of  Aaron  ;  Nadab  the  firstborn,  and  Abihu, 

3  Eleazar,  and  Ithamar.  These  are  the  names  of 
the  sons  of  Aaron,  the  priests  which  were 
anointed,  whom  lie  consecrated  to  minister  in 


two  other  tribes  which  were  descendants  of 
Leah ;  in  the  second  Reuben  the  firstborn  has 
with  him  the  second  son  of  Leah  and  Gad  son 
of  Zilpah,  which  tribe  with  Reuben  chose  its 
inheritance  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan.  In  the 
third  camp  the  children  of  Rachel  are  all  asso- 
ciated together;  while  the  fourth  comprises  the 
remaining  three  sons  of  the  handmaids,  headed 
by  the  eldest,  Dan. 

The  order  in  which  the  Levites  encamped  and 
marched  is  described  in  the  next  chapter. 

The  form  of  the  camp,  while  ideally  square, 
a  favorite  shape  in  Israelitish  prophecy,  ex- 
pressive of  ideal  completeness  (see  Ezek.  48  :  20 ; 
uev.  21  :  16),  was  ncccssarily  often  varied  to  adapt 
itself  to  the  configuration  of  the  wadies  or  plains 
where  the  tents  were  pitched. 


Chap.  3.  The  Levites  taken  for  the 

SERVICE  OF  THE  SANCTUARY  IN  LIEU  OF  THE 

FIRSTBORN.      1-4.  The  word  generations, 

n'^7ir\,  tol'dhofh,  is  used  throughout  the  book 
of  Genesis  as  a  heading  of  the  historical  sections, 


and  is  taken  by  critics  as  a  mark  of  the  priestly 
document.  It  does  not  always  signify  gene- 
alogy, but  is  often  used  in  the  sense  of  history, 
or  account,  as  in  Gen.  2:4.  In  the  Hebrew 
mind  the  whole  conception  of  development 
formed  or  constituted  itself  from  the  idea  of  be- 
getting ;  so  that  genealogy  and  history  scarcely 
needed  different  words  to  designate  them.  The 
title  seems  to  be  used  in  this  first  verse  as  if  the 
writer  had  started  out  with  the  intention  of 
giving  a  fuller  account  of  the  families  of  Moses 
and  Aaron  at  the  epoch  of  Jehovah's  revelation 
to  Moses  in  Sinai.  The  title  is  superseded  in 
the  second  verse  by  another  restricting  the 
genealogical  list  to  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  leav- 
ing Moses  with  the  bare  mention  of  his  name. 
The  names  given  here  are  the  names  of  the 
priests,  and  they  are  introduced  in  order  to  dis- 
tinguish them  as  a  more  sacred  class  from  the 
Levites  with  whom  the  remainder  of  the  chap- 
ter is  concerned.  Their  superior  sanctity  is 
expressed  by  the  form,  whom  he  conse- 
crated, lit.,  ivhose  hand  he  filled,  to  act  the 


Ch.  hi.] 


NUMBEKS 


19 


4  And  Nadab  and  Abihu  died  before  the  Lord, 
when  they  offered  strange  fire  before  the  Lord,  in 
the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  and  they  had  no  children : 
and  Eleazar  and  Ithamar  ministered  in  the  priest's 
office  in  the  sight  of  Aaron  their  father. 

5  And  the  Lord  spalic  unto  Moses,  saying, 

6  Bring  the  tribe  of  Levi  near,  and  present  them 
before  Aaron  the  priest,  that  they  may  minister 
unto  him. 

7  And  they  shall  keep  his  charge,  and  the  charge 
of  the  whole  congregation  before  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation,  to  do  the  service  of  the 
tabernacle. 

8  And  they  shall  keep  all  the  instruments  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  the  charge  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  to  do  the  service  of  the 
tabernacle. 

9  And  thou  Shalt  give  the  Levites  unto  Aaron 
and  to  his  sons  :  they  are  wholly  given  unto  him 
out  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

10  And  thou  shalt  appoint  Aaron  and  his  sons, 
and  they  shall  wait  on  their  priest's  office  :  and  the 
stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death. 

11  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

12  And  I,  behold,  1  have  taken  the  Levites  from 
among  the  children  of  Israel  instead  of  all  the  first- 
born that  openeth  the  matrix  among  the  children 
of  Israel :  therefore  the  Levites  shall  be  mine  ; 

13  Because  all  the  firstborn  are  mine  ;  for  on  the 
day  that  I  smote  all  the  firstborn  in  the  land  of 
Egypt  I  hallowed  unto  me  all  the  firstborn  in  Is- 
rael, both  man  and  beast:  mine  shall  they  be :  I 
am  the  Lord. 


4  the  priest's  office.  And  Nadab  and  Abihu  died 
before  the  Lord,  when  they  offered  strange  fire 
before  the  Lord,  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  and 
they  had  no  children  :  and  Eleazar  and  Ithamar 
ministered  in  the  priest's  office  in  the  presence 
of  Aaron  their  father. 

5  And    the    Lord    spake    unto   Moses,    saying, 

6  Bring  the  tribe  of  Levi  near,  and  set  them  be- 
fore Aaron  the  priest,  that  they  may  minister 

7  unto  him.  And  they  shall  keep  his  charge,  and 
the  charge  of  the  whole  congregation  before  the 
tent  of  the  meeting,  to  do  the  service  of  the 

8  tabernacle.  And  they  shall  keep  all  the  fur- 
niture of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  the  charge  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  to  do  the  service  of  the 

9  tabernacle.  And  thou  shalt  give  the  Levites 
unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons:  they  are  wholly 
given  unto  him  on  the  behalf  of  the  children  of 

10  Israel.  And  thou  shalt  appoint  Aaron  and  his 
sons,  and  they  shall  keep  their  priesthood  :  and 
the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to 
death. 

11  And   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,    saving, 

12  And  I,  behold,  I  have  taken  the  Levites  from 
among  the  children  of  Israel  instead  of  all  the 
firstborn  that  openeth  the  womb  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  ;  and  the  Levites  shall  be  mine: 

13  for  all  the  firstborn  are  mine  ;  on  the  day  that 
I  smote  all  the  firstborn  in  the  laud  of  Egypt  I 
hallowed  unto  me  all  the  firstborn  in  Israel,  both 
man  and  beast :  mine  they  shall  be ;  I  am  the 
Lord. 


jyriest.  The  story  of  their  consecration  or  "  fill- 
ing the  hand  "  is  given  in  Lev.  8.  The  children 
of  Moses  were  reckoned  among  the  common 
Levites  (i  Chron.  23 :  14),  One  branch  of  his  de- 
scendants appears  to  have  held  a  rival  priest- 
hood, with  a  ritual  embodying  image-worship, 
in  the  northern  city  of  Dan  from  the  occupation 
of  that  city  by  the  Dauites  until  the  captivity 

(Judg.  18  :  30). 

5-10,  The  Levites  were  to  be  brought  near 
and  caused  to  stand  (ver.  6)  before  Aaron  as  his 
servants.  The  expression  to  stand  before  is 
often  used  of  the  position  and  attitude  of  a 
servant  (see  e.  g.,  i  Kings  18  :  15).  According  to 
8  :  13  they  were  offered  to  the  Lord  as  a  wave 
offering,  i.  e.,  a  gift  that  was  solemnly  given  to 
Jehovah  to  be  received  back  again  for  the  uses 
of  the  sanctuary.  On  the  wave  offering  see  on 
Lev.  7  :  28-34.  The  Levites  appear  to  have 
been  regarded  as  fulfilling  the  people's  respon- 
sibility for  the  adequate  and  orderly  guardian- 
ship and  administration  of  the  service — they 
kept  the  charge  of  the  whole  congrega- 
tion before  the  tabernacle,  tent  of  meet- 
ing. Hence  they  were  counted  as  substitutes 
for  the  firstborn  whom  Jehovah  claimed  as  his 
own ;  and  their  office,  as  being  virtually  that  of 
the  people,  was  a  sort  of  lay  priesthood.  The 
priests,  as  appointed  to  a  service  to  which  no 
"stranger"  or  layman  was  to  come  nigh,  are 
therefore  strongly  contrasted  with  the  Levites 
(see  ver.  lo).  Thcse  latter  are  "given  given," 
i.  e.,  wholly  given  (ver.  9)  to  Aaron  on  behalf  of 


the  children  of  Israel.  These  devoted,  D'J=inj, 
nthimim,    Israelites    are    to    be    distinguished 

from    the    D"'J"'nj,   n'thinrm  (Ezra  7  :  24;   8  :  2O;   Neh. 

11  :  21)  who  were  of  non-Israelitish  descent  and 
who  were  in  their  turn  given  to  the  Levites  to 
do  the  most  menial  service  (Josh.  9  :  27). 

In  Deuteronomy  this  sharp  distinction  be- 
tween the  priests  and  the  Levites  seems  to  be 
unknown.  The  functions  of  the  Levites  appear 
to  be  more  distinctly  priestly ;  they  stand  be- 
fore the  Lord  to  minister  unto  him  and  to  Mess 
in  his  name  (oeut.  10  :  s),  and  indeed  seem  to  be 
spoken  of  simply  as  the  priestly  tribe.  In  that 
book  Aaron  is  not  called  a  priest,  and  the  priests 
are  everywhere  the  sous  of  Levi,  instead  of  more 
specifically  the  sons  of  Aaron.  This  difference 
of  standpoint  with  regard  to  the  priest's  office 
seems  to  reflect  different  degrees  of  ecclesiastical 
development  in  the  nation,  and  the  more  exact 
differentiation  characteristic  of  the  priest-legis- 
lation is  thought  to  be  later  than  that  reflected 
in  Deuteronomy. 

11-13.  These  verses  set  forth  the  theory  of 
the  separation  of  the  sons  of  Levi  to  the  service 
of  the  sanctuary  and  their  absolute  ownership 
by  Jehovah.  These  people  are  taken  in  lieu 
of  the  firstborn  whom  Jehovah  consecrated 
to  himself  when  he  smote  the  firstborn  of  the 
Egyptians  (see  Exod.  13 : 1, 2 ;  12 :  13).  This  redemp- 
tion of  the  firstborn  by  the  substitution  of  the  Le- 
vites seems  to  be  foreshadowed  and  provided  for 
in  the  exj^ression  (Exod.  13 .-  13)  "all  the  firstborn 
of  man  among  thy  sons  shalt  thou  redeem," 


20 


NUMBEKS 


[Ch.  III. 


14  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai,  saying,  .     ,       .,      ^ 

15  Number  the  children  of  Levi  after  the  house 
of  their  futliers,  by  their  families  :  every  male  from 
a  month  old  and  upward  shalt  thou  number  them. 

16  And  Mose.s  numbered  them  according  to  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  as  he  was  commanded. 

17  And  these  were  the  sous  of  Levi  by  their 
names  :  Gershon,  and  Kohatli,  and  Merari. 

18  And  tliese  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Gershon 
by  their  families  ;  Libni,  and  Shimei. 

19  And  the  sons  of  Kohath  by  their  families ; 
Amram,  and  Izehar,  Hebron,  and  Uzziel. 

20  And  the  sons  of  Merari  by  their  families; 
Mahli,  and  Mushi.  These  are  the  families  of  the 
Levites  according  to  the  liouse  of  their  fathers. 

21  Of  Gershon  was  the  family  of  the  Libnites,  and 
the  family  of  the  Shimites:  these  are  the  families 
of  the  Gershonites. 

22  Those  that  were  numbered  of  them  according 
to  the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a  month  old 
and  upward,  even  those  that  were  numbered  of 
tliem  ivere  seven  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

23  The  families  of  the  Gershonites  shall  pitch  be- 
hind the  tabernacle  westward. 

24  And  the  chief  of  the  house  of  the  father  of  the 
Gershonites  ahall  be  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Lael. 

25  And  the  charge  of  the  sons  of  Gershon  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation  shall  be  the  taber- 
nacle, and  the  tent,  the  covering  thereof,  and  the 
hanging  for  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation, 

26  And  the  hangings  of  the  court,  and  the  cur- 
tain for  the  door  of  the  court,  which  is  by  the  taber- 
nacle, and  by  the  altar  round  about,  anh  the  cords 
of  it  for  all  the  service  thereof. 

27  And  of  Kohath  was  the  family  of  the  Amram- 
ites,  and  the  family  of  the  Izeharites,  and  the 
family  of  the  Hebronites,  and  the  family  of  the 
Uzzielites  :  these  are  the  families  of  the  Kohathites. 

28  In  the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a  month 
old  and  upward,  xvere  eight  thousand  and  six  hun- 
dred, keeping  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary. 

29  The  families  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall  pitch 
on  the  side  of  the  tabernacle  southward. 

30  And  the  chief  of  the  house  of  the  father  of  the 
families  of  the  Kohathites  shall  be  Elizaphan  the 
sou  of  Uzziel. 


14  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  thewilder- 

15  ness  of  Sinai,  saying.  Number  the  children  of 
Levi  by  their  fathers'  houses,  by  their  families : 
every  male  from  a  month  old  and  upward  shalt 

16  tliou  number  them.  And  Moses  numbered  them 
according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  as  he  was 

17  commanded.  And  these  were  the  sons  of  Levi 
by  their  names  ;  Gershon,  and  Kohath,  and  Me- 

18  rari.  And  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of 
Gershon  by  their  families ;  Libni  and  Shimei. 

19  And  the  sons  of  Kohath  by  their  families  ;  Am- 

20  ram,  and  Izhar,  Hebron,  and  Uzziel.  And  the 
sous  of  Merari  by  their  families;  Mahli  and 
Mushi.  These  are  the  families  of  the  Levites 
according  to  their  fathers'  houses. 

21  Of  Gershon  was  the  family  of  the  Libnites, 
and  the  family  of  the  Shimeites :  these  are  the 

22  families  of  the  Gershonites.  Those  that  were 
numbered  of  them,  according  to  the  number  of 
all  the  males,  from  a  month  old  and  upward, 
even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them  were 

23  seven  thousand  and  five  hundred.  The  families 
of  the  Gershonites  shall  pitch  behind  the  taber- 

24  nacle  westward.  And  the  prince  of  the  fathers' 
house  of  the  Gershonites  shall  be  Eliasaph  the 

25  son  of  Lael.  And  the  charge  of  the  sons  of  Ger- 
shon in  the  tent  of  meeting  shall  be  the  taber- 
nacle, and  the  Tent,  the  covering  thereof,  and 
the  screen  for  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting, 

26  and  the  hangings  of  the  court,  and  the  screen 
for  the  door  of  the  court,  which  is  by  the  taber- 
nacle, and  by  the  altar  round  about,  and  the 
cords  of  it  for  all  the  service  thereof. 

27  And  of  Kohath  was  the  family  of  the  Amram- 
ites,  and  the  family  of  the  Izharites,  and  the 
family  of  the  Hebronites,  and  the  family  of  the 
Uzzielites  :  these  are  the  families  of  the  Kohath- 

28  ites.  According  to  the  number  of  all  the  males, 
from  a  month  old  and  upward,  there  were  eight 
thousand  and  six  hundred,  keeping  the  charge 

29  of  the  sanctuary.  The  families  of  the  sons  of 
Kohath  shall  pitch  on  the  side  of  the  tik-bernacle 

30  southward.  And  the  prince  of  the  father's 
house  of  the  families  of  the  Kohathites  shall  be 


14-20.    Ill    the   wilderness    of  Sinai. 

The  pains  taken  to  specify  the  place  of  the  rev- 
elation (cf.  Lev.  25  : 1)  seems  to  indicate  the  intro- 
duction of  a  more  broadly  separated  topic  in  the 
author's  mind.  The  Levites  are  numbered  from 
a  month  old  and  upward,  as  that  was  the  age  at 
which  the  firstborn  were  to  be  presented  for  re- 
demption (see  18 :  16).  Of  these  Lcvitcs  there  are 
three  branches:  Gershon,  Kohath,  and  Merari, 
the  first  and  third  being  subdivided  into  two 
families  each,  and  the  second  into  four  (comp. 

Exod.  6  :  16-19). 

21-39.  The  Gershonites  were  to  pitch  their 
tents  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  tabernacle 
and  on  the  west  side.  Their  charge  in  general 
was  the  Avhole  of  the  cloth  work  and  tapestry 
of  the  sanctuary  or  tent  of  meeting  and  of  the 
court  which  surrounded  it,  with  the  exception 
of  the  veil  shutting  off  the  most  holy  place. 
This  they  were  not  only  to  pack  up  and  trans- 
port when  the  tabernacle  moved,  and  to  place 
in  position  when  the  tabernacle  was  set  up,  but 
to  care  for  and  regulate  so  far  as  it  was  employed 


in  religious  service.  The  cords  of  it  (ver.  26)^ 
probably  means  the  cords  of  the  sanctuary  rather 
than  of  the  court,  which  latter  appear  to  have 
been  in  charge  of  the  sons  of  Merari  (ver.  37). 

The  Kohathites  were  the  most  numerous  of 
the  families  of  Levi  and  the  branch  from  which, 
through  Amram,  came  Moses  and  the  priests. 
They  were  to  pitch  on  the  south  side  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  their  service  was  the  most  hon- 
orable and  also  hazardous,  on  account  of  the  self- 
avenging  sanctity  of  the  sacred  objects  which 
they  were  to  handle.  They  had  to  do  with  the 
ark  and  the  table  and  the  altars  and  all  the  most 
sacred  vessels,  and  the  great  veil  which  separ- 
ated the  holy  place  from  the  most  holy — ob- 
jects which  were  too  sacred  to  be  transported  in 
any  way  except  on  men's  shoulders,  or  to  be 
seen  by  any  but  the  priests.  These  men,  as  well 
as  the  other  two  Levitical  families  with  their 
princes,  were  to  be  under  the  command  and 
oversight  of  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron. 

The  ^Merarites  were  upon  the  north  and  had 
in  general  the  charge  of  the  heavy  and  solid 


Ch.  III.] 


NUMBERS 


21 


31  And  their  charge  shall  be  the  ark,  and  the  table, 
and  the  candlestick,  and  the  altars,  and  the  ves- 
sels of  the  sanctuary  wherewith  they  minister,  and 
the  hanging,  and  all  the  service  thereof. 

32  And  Eleuzar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall 
be  chief  over  the  chief  of  the  Levites,  and  have  the 
oversight  of  them  that  keep  the  charge  of  the 
sanctuary. 

33  Of  Merari  was  the  family  of  the  Mahlites,  and 
the  family  of  the  Mushites :  these  are  the  families 
of  Merari, 

34  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a 
month  old  and  upward,  were  six  thousand  and  two 
hundred. 

35  And  the  chief  of  the  house  of  the  father  of 
the  families  of  Merari  was  Zuriel  the  sou  of  Ab- 
ihail :  these  shall  pitch  on  the  side  of  the  tabernacle 
northward. 

36  And  under  the  custody  and  charge  of  the  sons 
of  Merari  shall  be  the  boards  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
the  bars  thereof,  and  the  pillars  thereof,  and  the 
sockets  thereof,  and  all  the  vessels  thereof,  and  all 
that  serveth  thereto, 

37  And  the  pillars  of  the  court  round  about,  and 
their  sockets,  and  their  pins,  and  their  cords. 

38  But  those  that  encamp  before  the  tabernacle 
toward  the  east,  even  before  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  eastward,  shall  be  Moses,  and  Aaron 
and  his  sons,  keeping  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary 
for  the  charge  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  the 
stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death. 

39  All  that  were  numbered  of  the  Levites,  which 
Moses  and  Aaron  numbered  at  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord,  throughout  their  families,  all  the  males 
from  a  month  old  and  upward,  were  twenty  and 
two  thousand. 

40  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Number  all  the 
firstborn  of  the  males  of  the  children  of  Israel  from 
a  month  old  and  upward,  and  take  the  number  of 
their  names. 


31  Elizaphan  the  son  of  Uzziel.  And  their  charge 
shall  be  the  ark,  and  the  table,  and  the  candle- 
stick, and  the  altars,  and  the  vessels  of  the 
sanctuary  wherewitli   they  minister,  and    the 

32  screen,  and  all  the  service  thereof.  And  Eleazar 
the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  be  prince  of  the 
princes  of  the  Levites,  and  have  the  oversight  of 
them  that  keep  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary. 

33  Of  Merari  was  the  family  of  the  Mahlites,  and 
the  family  of  the  Mushites  :  these  are  the  fami- 

34  lies  of  Merari.  And  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  according  to  the  number  of  all  the 
males,  from  a  mouth  old  and  upward,  were  six 

35  thousand  and  two  hundred.  And  the  prince  of 
the  fathers'  house  of  tlie  families  of  Merari  was 
Zuriel  the  son  of  Abihail ;  they  shall  pitch  on 

36  the  side  of  the  tabernacle  northward.  And  the 
appointed  charge  of  the  sons  of  Merari  shall  be 
the  boards  of  the  tabernacle,  and  the  bars  thereof, 
and  the  pillars  thereof,  and  the  sockets  thereof, 
and  all  the  instruments  thereof,  and  all  the  serv- 

37  ice  thereof ;  and  the  pillars  of  the  court  round 
about,  and  their  sockets,  and  their  pins,  and  their 

38  cords.  And  those  that  pitch  before  the  tabernacle 
eastward,  before  the  tent  of  meeting  toward  the 
sunrising,  shall  be  Moses,  and  Aaron  and  his 
sons,  keeping  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary  for 
the  charge  of  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  the 
stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death. 

39  All  that  were  numbered  of  the  Levites,  which 
Moses  and  Aaron  numbered  at  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord,  by  their  families,  all  the  males 
from  a  month  old  and  upward,  were  twenty  and 
two  thousand. 

40  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Number  all 
the  firstborn  males  of  the  children  of  Israel  from 
a  month  old  and  upward,  and  take  the  number 


.work  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  court — the  boards 
and  bars  and  pillars  and  sockets.  On  the  east 
or  front  side  of  the  tabernacle  were  located 
Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  priests,  and  their  part 
of  the  camp  was  rigidly  secluded  from  lay 
intrusion. 

The  total  number  of  the  Levites  is  given  (ver.  39) 
as  twenty-two  thousand,  while  the  sum  of  the 
numbers  of  the  three  families,  seven  thousand 
five  hundred,  eight  thousand  six  hundred,  and 
six  thousand  two  hundred,  is  twenty-two  thou- 
sand three  hundred.  This  erroneous  footing  is 
adopted  without  comment  as  the  basis  of  the 
redemption  of  the  overplus  of  the  firstborn  (ver. 
46),  an  overplus  which  would  not  exist  if  the 
numbers  were  used  as  in  the  text  and  correctly 
added.  "We  can  account  for  this  arithmetical 
error  only  conjecturally.  It  is  possible  that  an 
error  in  copying  has  crept  into  the  text.  The 
addition  of  a  single  letter  in  the  word  indicating 
the  hundreds  in  the  family  of  Kohath  (ver.  28) 
would  make  it  read  eight  thousand  and  three 
hundred,  which  would  correct  the  error.  It  is 
to  be  noted  that  the  tribe  of  Levi  is  very  small 
in  comparison  with  the  other  tribes,  being  ten 
thousand  less  than  Manasseh  the  smallest  of 
them,  even  though  reckoned  from  a  month  old 
upward,  while  the  other  tribes  are  reckoned 


from  twenty  years  up.  Dillmann  seems  to  have 
the  suspicion,  not  that  the  tribe  of  Levi  is 
reckoned  too  small,  but  that  the  numbers  of  the 
other  tribes  have  been  placed  too  high  for  the 
time  of  Moses.  It  is  thought  that  many  of  alien 
or  mixed  birth  who  were  adopted  into  the  other 
tribes  may  have  served  to  swell  their  numbers, 
while  only  those  of  pure  descent  would  be 
counted  qualified  to  serve  the  sanctuary  in  the 
tribe  of  Levi. 

40-43.  As  the  Levites  are  to  be  taken  instead 
of  the  firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  take  a  census  of  the  first- 
born in  order  to  verify  the  fairness  of  the  ex- 
change. The  number,  twenty-two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  seventy-three,  bears  a  very  small 
proportion  to  the  six  hundred  and  three  thou- 
sand five  hundred  and  fifty  (1  =  46)  males  of 
twenty  years  old  and  upward.  It  is  therefore 
believed  that  by  the  firstborn  of  the  males 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  here  taken  are 
meant  simply  those  firstborn  males  who  had 
come  into  the  world  since  the  command  "  Sanc- 
tify unto  me  all  the  firstborn,  whatsoever 
openeth  the  Avomb  "  (Exod.  13 : 2)  had  been  given, 
thirteen  months  before.  This  is  the  most  natural 
interpretation  of  a  command  which  apparently 
for  the  first  time  takes  account  of  the  first- 


22 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  IV. 


41  And  thou  shalt  take  the  Levites  for  me  (I  am 
the  Lord^  instead  of  ail  the  tirstboru  among  the 
children  of  Israel ;  and  the  cattle  of  the  Levites  in- 
stead of  all  the  firstlings  among  the  cattle  of  tiie 
children  of  Israel. 

42  And  Moses  numbered,  as  the  Lord  commanded 
him,  all  the  hrstborn  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

4;i  And  all  the  firstborn  males  by  the  number  of 
names,  from  a  month  old  and  upward,  of  those  that 
were  numbered  of  them,  were  twenty  and  two 
thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  and  thirteen. 

44  And  tlie  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

45  Take  the  Levites  instead  of  all  the  hrstborn 
among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  the  cattle  of  tlie 
Levites  instead  of  their  cattle;  and  the  Levites 
shall  be  mine  :  I  am  the  Lord. 

413  And  for  those  that  are  to  be  redeemed  of  the 
two  hundred  and  threescore  and  thirteen  of  the 
firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  are  more 
than  the  Levites ; 

47  Thou  shalt  even  take  five  shekels  apiece  by 
the  poll,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  shalt 
thou  take  them :  (the  shekel  is  twenty  gerahs :) 

48  And  thou  shalt  give  the  money,  wherewith 
the  odd  number  of  them  is  to  be  redeemed,  unto 
Aaron  and  to  his  sons. 

49  And  Moses  took  the  redemption  money  of  them 
that  were  over  and  above  them  that  were  redeemed 
by  the  Levites: 

50  Of  the  firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel  took 
he  the  money  ;  a  thousand  three  hundred  and 
threescore  and  five  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary : 

51  And  Moses  gave  the  money  of  them  that  were 
redeemed  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons,  according 
to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  as  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses. 


41  of  their  names.  And  thou  shalt  take  the  Le- 
vites for  me  (I  am  the  Lord)  instead  of  all  the 
firstborn  among  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  the 
cattle  of  the  Levites  instead  of  all  the  firstlings 

42  among  the  cattle  of  the  children  of  Israel.  And 
Moses  numbered,  as  the  Lord  commanded  him, 
all  the  hrstborn  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

43  And  all  the  hrstborn  males  according  to  the 
number  of  names,  from  a  month  old  and  up- 
ward, of  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
were  twenty  and  two  thousand  two  hundred 
and  threescore  and  tliirteen. 

44  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

45  Take  the  Levites  instead  of  all  the  firstborn 
among  the  children  of  Israel,  and  the  cattle  of 
the  Levites  instead  of  their  cattle  :  and  the  Le- 

46  vites  shall  be  mine ;  I  am  the  Lord.  And  for 
the  redemption  of  the  two  hundred  and  three- 
score and  thirteen  of  the  firstborn  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  which  are  over  and  above  the 

47  number  o/the  Levites,  thou  shalt  take  hve  shek- 
els apiece  by  the  poll  ;  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  shalt  thou  take  them  (the  shekel  is 

48  twenty  gerahs)  :  and  thou  shalt  give  the  money 
wherewith  the  odd  number  of  them  is  redeemed 

49  unto  Aaron  and  to  his  sons.  And  Moses  took 
the  redemption-money  from  them  that  were 
over  and  above  them  that  were  redeemed  by  the 

50  Levites  :  from  the  hrstborn  of  the  children  of 
Israel  took  he  the  money ;  a  thousand  three 
hundred  and  threescore  and  hve  shekels,  after 

61  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  :  and  Moses  gave 
the  redemption-money  unto  Aaron  and  to  his 
sons,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 
Aaron,  saying, 

2  Take  the  sum  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  from 
among  the  sons  of  Levi,  after  their  families,  by  the 
house  of  their  fathers, 

3  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  until 
fifty  years  old,  all  that  enter  into  the  host,  to  do 
the"  work  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 

2  Aaron,  saying.  Take  the  sum  of  the  sons  of 
Kohath  from  among  the  sons  of  Levi,  by  their 
families,   by  their  fathers'  houses,  from  thirty 

3  years  old  and  upward  even  until  fifty  years 
old,  all   that   enter   upon   the   service,  to   do 


born  in  reference  to  their  uses  for  a  sanctuary- 
yet  to  be  built.  "With  this  understanding,  re- 
stricting the  account  to  the  firstborn  males  less 
than  thirteen  months  old,  the  proportion  to  the 
total  population  is  large  as  compared  with  the 
proportion  prevailing  among  the  less  prolific 
races  of  modern  times.  It  is  very  natural  to 
suppose,  however,  that,  after  the  cruel  restric- 
tions and  hardships  of  the  bondage,  the  reac- 
tion and  the  immediate  consummation  of  de- 
ferred marriages  during  the  year  of  wilderness- 
freedom  and  hope  would  bring  the  number  of 
births  up  to  an  exceptional  proportion.  It  is 
certainly  true  that  among  all  peoples  the  aver- 
age of  births  varies  considerably  according  to 
the  hardness  or  prosperity  of  the  times.  Added 
to  tliis  is  the  consideration  that  the  proportion  of 
male  to  female  children  is  large  among  the  Jews. 
44-51.  The  cattle  of  the  Levites  (ver.  «)  are 
taken  in  the  lump  for  this  time  in  order  to 
obviate  the  well-nigh  impracticable  search  for 
firstlings  among  the  numerous  herds  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel ;  while  all  firstlings  born  in  the 


future  are  to  be  presented  by  their  owners  to 

Jehovah  (Exod.  is  ;  12  ;    Num.  18  :  17). 

Five  shekels  came  to  be  the  established  sum 
required  for  the  redemption  of  the  firstborn  (see 
18  :  16).  This  was  also  the  sum  required  for  the 
commutation  of  a  vow  in  the  case  of  a  male 
child  from  a  month  to  five  years  old  (see  Lev. 
27  :  6).  This  money  was  paid  to  the  priests,  as 
the  firstborn  were  reckoned  theirs  (i8 :  i5)  ;  and 
the  Levites,  also  wholly  given  to  them  (3:9), 
did  not  satisfy  all  the  claims  of  Aaron's  family 
upon  the  children  of  Israel. 


Chap.  4.  Duties  of  the  Levites  in  de- 
tail AND  number  of  THOSE  QUALIFIED  FOR 
SERVICE.  1-20,  The  Levites  are  thought  of  as 
a  kind  of  sacred  militia  and  therefore  their 
service  is  often  designated  by  the  Avord  loarfare, 
or  military  service  (ver.  3, 35,  39. 43).  The  service 
of  the  Levites  for  the  sanctuary  expressly  cor- 
responds to  the  service  of  the  other  tribes  for 
war.  It  is  with  special  reference  to  the  mo- 
bilization of  the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture 


Ch.  IV.] 


NUMBERS 


23 


4  This  shall  be  the  service  of  the  sons  of  Kohath 
in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  about  the 
most  holy  things : 

5  And  when  the  camp  setteth  forward,  Aaron 
shall  come,  and  his  sons,  and  they  shall  take  down 
the  covering  vail,  and  cover  the  ark  of  testimony 
v?ith  it: 

6  And  shall  put  thereon  the  covering  of  badgers' 
skins,  and  shall  spread  over  it  a  cloth  wholly  of 
blue,  and  shall  put  in  the  staves  thereof. 

7  And  upon  the  table  of  shevvbread  they  shall 
spread  a  cloth  of  blue,  and  put  thereon  the  dishes, 
and  the  spoons,  and  the  bowls,  and  covers  to  cover 
withal :  and  the  continual  bread  shall  be  thereon  : 

8  And  they  shall  spread  upon  them  a  cloth  of 
scarlet,  and  cover  the  same  with  a  covering  of 
badgers'  skins,  and  shall  put  in  the  staves  thereof. 

9  And  thev  shall  take  a  cloth  of  blue,  and  cover 
the  candlestick  of  the  light,  and  his  lamps,  and 
his  tongs,  and  his  snuffdishes,  and  all  the  oil  ves- 
sels thereof,  wherewith  they  minister  unto  it: 

10  And  they  shall  put  it  and  all  the  vessels  there- 
of within  a  covering  of  badgers'  skins,  and  shall 
put  it  upon  a  bar. 

11  And  upon  the  golden  altar  they  shall  spread  a 
cloth  of  blue,  and  cover  it  with  a  covering  of 
badgers'  skins,  and  shall  put  to  the  staves  thereof : 

12  And  they  shall  take  all  the  instruments  of 
ministry,  wherewith  they  minister  in  the  sanctu- 
ary, and  put  them  in  a  cloth  of  blue,  and  cover 
them  with  a  covering  of  badgers'  skins,  and  shall 
put  them  on  a  bar  : 

13  And  they  shall  take  away  the  ashes  from  the 
altar,  and  spread  a  purple  cloth  thereon  : 

14  And  they  shall  put  upon  it  all  the  vessels 
thereof,  wherewith  they  minister  about  it,  even  the 
censers,  the  flesh  hooks,  and  the  shovels,  and  the 
basons,  all  the  vessels  of  the  altar  ;  and  they  shall 
spread  upon  it  a  covering  of  badgers'  skins,  and 
put  to  the  staves  of  it. 

15  And  when  Aaron  and  his  sons  have  made  an 
end  of  covering  the  sanctuary,  and  all  the  vessels 
of  the  sanctuary,  as  the  camp  is  to  set  forward  ; 
after  that,  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall  come  to  bear 
it:  but  they  shall  not  touch  any  holy  thing,  lest 
they  die.  These  things  are  the  burden  of  the  sons 
of  Kohath  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 


4  the  work  in  the  tent  of  meeting.  This  is  the 
service  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  in  the  tent  of 

5  meeting,  about  the  most  holy  things:  when  tiie 
camp  setteth  forward,  Aaron  shall  go  in,  and  his 
sons,  and  they  shall  take  down  the  veil  of  the 
screen,  and  cover  the  ark  of  the  testimony  with 

6  it :  and  shall  put  thereon  a  covering  of  sealskin, 
and  shall  spread  over  it  a  cloth  all  of  blue,  and 

7,  shall  put  in  the  staves  thereof.  And  upon  the 
table  of  shew  bread  they  shall  spread  a  cloth  of 
blue,  and  put  thereon  the  dishes,  and  the  spoons, 
and  the  bowls  and  the  cups  to  pour  out  withal : 

8  and  the  continual  bread  shall  be  thereon:  and 
they  shall  spread  upon  them  a  cloth  of  scarlet, 
and  cover  the  same  with  a  covering  of  sealskin, 

9  and  shall  put  in  the  staves  thereof.  And  they 
shall  take  a  cloth  of  blue,  and  cover  the  candle- 
stick ot  the  light,  and  its  lamps,  and  its  tongs, 
and  its  snuffdishes,  and  all  the  oil  vessels  there- 

10  of,  wherewith  they  minister  untx)  it :  and  they 
shall  put  it  and  ail  the  vessels  thereof  within  a 
covering  of  sealskin,  and  shall  put  it  upon  the 

11  frame.  And  upon  the  golden  altar  they  shall 
spread  a  cloth  of  blue,  and  cover  it  with  a  cov- 
ering of  sealskin,  and  shall  put  in  the  staves 

12  thereof :  and  they  shall  take  all  the  vessels  of 
ministry,  wherewith  they  minister  in  the  sanc- 
tuary, and  put  them  in  a  cloth  of  blue,  and 
cover  them   with  a  covering  of  sealskin,   and 

13  shall  put  them  on  the  frame.  And  they  shall 
take  away  the  ashes  from  the  altar,  and  spread 

14  a  purple  cloth  thereon  :  and  they  shall  put  upon 
it  all  the  vessels  thereof,  wherewith  they  min- 
ister about  it,  the  lirepans,  the  fleshhooks,  and 
the  shovels,  and  the  basons,  all  the  vessels  of  the 
altar;  and  they  shall  spread  upon  it  a  covering 

15  of  sealskin,  and  put  in  the  staves  thereof.  And 
when  Aaron  and  his  sons  have  made  an  end  of 
covering  the  sanctuary,  and  all  the  furniture  of 
the  sanctuary,  as  the  camp  is  to  set  forward  ; 
after  that,  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall  come  to 
bear  it :  but  they  shall  not  touch  the  sanctuary, 
lest  they  die.    These  things  are  the  burden  of 


that  their  duties  are  described,  because  it  was 
when  the  holy  things  were  being  handled  and 
transported  that  these  were  in  special  danger  of 
profanation.  The  service  of  the  Kohathites  was 
the  holiest,  lit.,  "holy  of  holies"  (ver.  4)  ;  they 
were  to  carry  the  ark  and  the  table  of  shew- 
bread  and  the  candlestick  and  the  golden  and 
brazen  altars.  These  were  first  to  be  carefully 
covered  and  packed  for  transportation  by  the 
priests  before  the  Levites  came  near  to  touch  or 
even  to  see  them.  We  may  well  suppose  that 
the  holiest  things  were  the  first  to  be  packed 
before  the  removal  of  the  curtains  of  the  tent, 
which  were  in  the  charge  of  the  Gershonites,  and 
while  the  priests  could  work  unseen  in  the 
sanctuary.  The  taking  down  of  the  great  veil 
of  partition  (ver.  5)  would  open  the  most  holy 
place,  but  its  one  inefiably  sacred  object  of  fur- 
niture, the  ark,  was  immediately  covered  with 
that  veil,  so  that  no  eye  except  that  of  the  au- 
thorized priest  ever  beheld  it.  One  of  the 
wrappings  of  the  ark,  as  also  of  each  of  the 
sacred  articles  in  charge  of  the  Kohathites,  was 
a  covering  of  sealskin  ;  then  for  an  outer  cover- 


ing the  ark  was  to  have  a  cloth  wholly  of  dark 
blue  or  purple  (ver.  6),  and  its  poles  which, 
though  always  kept  in  position  (Exod.  25  :  u,  15), 
would  need  to  be  disarranged  in  the  process  of 
packing,  were  to  be  adjusted. 

The  table  of  shew-bread  was  to  be  spread 
with  a  cloth  of  blue  on  which  were  to  be  placed 
its  utensils  and  the  bread  which  was  continu- 
ally to  be  kept  in  position  (ver.  7),  and  its  dis- 
tinctive covering  was  a  cloth  of  "worm  crimson  " 
(ver.  8).  The  candlestick,  which  was  without 
carrying  poles,  and  also  the  small  utensils  per- 
taining to  the  care  of  it  and  to  the  service  of  the 
altar  of  incense  were,  carried  on  a  frame  or  cra- 
dle (ver.  10, 12).  The  great  altar  of  burnt  offering 
was  to  be  cleansed  of  its  greasy  ashes  (ver.  13) 
and  covered,  along  with  its  dishes  and  forks  and 
shovels,  with  a  cloth  of  purple.  After  ver.  14 
the  Septuagint  and  the  Samaritan  text  insert 
directions  for  covering  the  brazen  laver  and 
putting  it  on  a  frame,  but  this  is  probably  an 
unauthorized  interpolation. 

It  was  not  until  the  priests  had  completed  the 
wrapping  of  the  holy  things  that  the  sons  of 


24 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  IV. 


16  And  to  the  office  of  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron 
the  priest  pertaineth  the  oil  for  the  hght,  and  the 
sweet  incense,  and  the  daily  meat  offering,  and 
the  anointing  oil,  and  the  oversight  of  all  the  tab- 
ernacle, and  of  all  that  therein  is,  in  the  sanctuary, 
and  in  the  vessels  thereof. 

17  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  ana   unto 

Aaron,  saying,  ^  ..      r      m-       t  *u 

18  Cut  ye  not  off  the  tribe  of  the  families  of  the 
Kohathites  from  among  the  Levites  : 

19  But  thus  do  unto  them,  that  they  may  Jive, 
and  not  die,  when  they  approach  unto  the  most 
holy  things :  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  go  in,  and 
appoint  them  every  one  to  his  service  and  to  his 
burden :  ,         -      ,_   , 

20  But  they  shall  not  go  in  to  see  when  the  holy 
things  are  covered,  lest  they  die. 

21  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

22  Take  also  the  sum  of  the  sons  of  Gershon, 
throughout  the  houses  of  their  fathers,  by  their 
families ; 

23  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  until  fifty 
vears  old  shalt  thou  number  them  ;  all  that  enter 
in  to  perform  the  service,  to  do  the  work  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

21  This  is  the  service  of  the  families  of  the  Ger- 
shonites,  to  serve,  and  for  burdens  : 

25  And  they  shall  bear  the  curtains  of  the  taber- 
nacle, and  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  his 
covering,  and  the  covering  of  the  badgers'  skins 
that  16  above  upon  it,  and  the  hanging  for  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 

26  And  the  hangings  of  the  court,  and  the  hang- 
ing for  the  door  of  the  gate  of  the  court,  which  is 
by  the  tabernacle  and  by  the  altar  round  about, 
aiid  their  cords,  and  all  the  instruments  of  their 
service,  and  all  that  is  made  for  them ;  so  shall 
they  serve. 

27  At  the  appointment  of  Aaron  and  his  sons 
shall  be  all  the  service  of  the  sons  of  the  Gershon- 
ites,  in  all  their  burdens,  and  in  all  their  service : 
and  ye  shall  appoint  unto  them  in  charge  all  their 
burdens. 


16  the  sons  of  Kohath  in  the  tent  of  meeting.  And 
the  charge  of  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest 
shall  be  the  oil  for  the  light,  and  the  sweet  in- 
cense, and  the  continual  meal  offering,  and  the 
anointing  oil,  the  charge  of  all  the  tabernacle, 
and  of  all  that  therein  is,  the  sanctuary,  and  the 
furniture  thereof. 

17  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and   unto 

18  Aaron,  saying.  Cut  ye  not  off  the  tribe  of  the 
families  of   the    Kohathites    from    among    the 

19  Levites  :  but  thus  do  unto  them,  that  they  may 
live,  and  not  die,  when  they  approach  unto  the 
most  holy  things :  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  go 
in,  and  appoint  them  every  one  to  his  service 

20  and  to  his  burden :  but  they  shall  not  go  in  to 
see  the  sanctuary  even  for  a  moment,  lest  they 
die. 

21  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Take 

22  the  sum  of  the  sons  of  Gershon  also,  by  their 

23  fathers'  houses,  by  their  families ;  from  thirty 
years  old  and  upward  until  fifty  years  old  shalt 
thou  number  them  ;  all  that  enter  in  to  wait 
upon  the  service,  to  do  the  work  in  the  tent  of 

24  meeting.  This  is  the  service  of  the  families  of 
the    Gershonites,    in    serving    and   in    bearing 

25  burdens :  they  shall  bear  the  curtains  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  the  tent  of  meeting,  its  cover- 
ing, and  the  covering  of  sealskin  that  is  above 
upon  it,  and  the  screen  for  the  door  of  the  tent 

26  of  meeting  ;  and  the  hangings  of  the  court,  and 
the  screen  for  the  door  of  the  gate  of  the  court, 
which  is  by  the  tabernacle  and  by  the  altar 
round  about,  and  their  cords,  and  all  the  in- 
struments of  their  service,  and  whatsoever  shall 
be  done  with  them,  therein  shall  they  serve. 

27  At  the  commandment  of  Aaron  and  his  sons 
shall  be  all  the  service  of  the  sons  of  the  Ger- 
shonites, in  all  their  burden,  and  in  all  their 
service :   and  ye  shall  appoint  unto   them  in 


Kohath  were  to  draw  near  to  perform  their  serv- 
ice as  bearers,  lest  the  profane  touch  of  their  lay- 
hands  should  cause  their  death.  According  to 
the  probably  older  legislation  of  Deuteronomy, 
which  does  not  so  clearly  distinguish  the  priests 
from  the  Levites  (see  on  s :  s-io)^  the  chief  of  the 
privileges  of  the  whole  priestly  tribe  of  Levi  is 
that  of  bearing  the  ark  (see  Deut.  3i :  9, 25),  and 
this  corresponds  to  the  evidence  of  the  older  his- 
torical books,  according  to  which  the  priests 

bear   the    ark    (see  Josh.  3:3;  6  :  6,  12  ;   8  :  33  ;   1  Kings 

2 :  26 ;  8  : 3,  6),  It  appears  that,  in  addition  to  the 
total  charge  of  the  Levitical  service  (3:32)  and 
the  more  specific  oversight  of  the  Kohathites, 
Eleazar  was  to  have  for  his  special  and  personal 
duty  the  care  of  the  holy  oils  and  incense  and  of 
the  constant  minchah  (see  ver.  le). 

A  peculiar  command  is  given  to  Aaron  and 
his  sons  in  ver.  18,  seq.  They  are  directed  not 
to  cut  off  the  families  of  the  Kohathites  from 
among  the  Levites  by  neglecting  to  apprise  them 
or  keep  them  vividly  sensible  of  the  momen- 
tously solemn  nature  of  their  duties.  Closely 
allied  to  the  sense  of  sacredness  is  the  sense  of 
order,  and  a  service  so  extra  hazardous  as  that 
of  the  Kohathites  would  be  guarded  from  the 


danger  of  falling  into  a  perilous  heedlessness  by 
being  carefully  organized  (ver.  19),  so  that  every 
man  had  his  well-understood  share  of  the  task. 
A  very  wholesome  fear  of  making  holy  things 
common  was  fostered  by  warning  these  lay  serv- 
ants that  if  they  went  in  to  see  the  "  holy  "  even 
**  according  to  a  swallowing,"  i.  e. ,  for  an  instant 
(ver.  20 ;  cf.  Job  1 :  19)  they  should  die.  The  inci- 
dent related  in  1  Sam.  6  :  19  is  a  historical  in- 
stance of  the  stern  retribution  visited  upon 
such  profane  staring,  and  the  fate  of  Uzzah 
(2  Sam.  6  :  6,  7)  was  a  Warning  of  what  might  be 
feared  if  an  unauthorized  person,  even  with  the 
best  intention,  touched  the  dreadful  symbol  of 
Jehovah's  seat. 

21-33.  The  service  of  the  Gershonites,  which 
is  introduced,  as  was  that  of  the  Kohathites,  by 
a  command  to  number  their  effectives  for  the 
sanctuary — every  one  that  gocth  forth  to  war 
warfare,  to  serve  service  (ver.  so) — is  described 
substantially  as  in  3  :  25,  26  and  in  the  same 
order,  only  in  a  little  greater  detail.  24. 
Their  service,  when  the  tabernacle  was  in  use 
and  their  assignment  for  carrying  when  it  was  re- 
moved (to  serve,  and  for  burdens),  was  the 
whole  cloth  work  of  the  sanctuary  and  the  tent 


Ch.  IV.] 


NUMBERS 


25 


28  This  is  the  service  of  the  families  of  the  sons 
of  Gershon  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation : 
and  their  cliarge  shall  be  under  the  hand  of  Ithamar 
the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest. 

29  As  for  the  sons  of  Merari,  thou  shalt  number 
them  after  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers ; 

30  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto 
fifty  years  old  shalt  thou  number  them,  every  one 
that  entereth  into  the  service,  to  do  the  work  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

31  And  this  is  the  charge  of  their  burden,  accord- 
ing to  all  their  service  in  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation  ;  the  boards  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
the  bars  thereof,  and  the  pillars  thereof,  and  sock- 
ets thereof, 

32  And  the  pillars  of  the  court  round  about,  and 
their  sockets,  and  their  pins,  and  their  cords,  with 
all  their  instruments,  and  with  all  their  service : 
and  by  name  ye  shall  reckon  the  instruments  of 
the  charge  of  their  burden. 

33  This  is  the  service  of  the  families  of  the  sons 
of  Merari,  according  to  all  their  service,  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  under  the  hand  of 
Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest. 

34  And  Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  chief  of  the 
congregation  numbered  the  sons  of  the  Kohathites 
after  their  families,  and  after  the  house  of  their 
fathers, 

35  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto 
fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entereth  into  the 
service,  for  the  work  in  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation : 

36  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  them  by 
their  families  were  two  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  fifty. 

37  These  were  they  that  were  numbered  of  the 
families  of  the  Kohathites,  all  that  might  do  serv- 
ice in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  which 
Moses  and  Aaron  did  number  according  to  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

38  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  the  sons  of 
Gershon,  throughout  their  families,  and  by  the 
house  of  their  fathers, 

39  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto 
fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entereth  into  the 
service,  for  the  work  in  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation, 

40  Even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
throughout  their  families,  by  the  house  of  their 
fathers,  were  two  thousand  and  six  hundred  and 
thirty. 

41  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the 
families  of  the  sons  of  Gershon,  of  all  that  might 
do  service  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
whom  Moses  and  Aaron  did  number  according  to 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord. 

42  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  the  families 
of  the  sons  of  Merari,  throughout  their  families,  by 
the  house  of  their  fathers, 


28  charge  all  their  burden.  This  is  the  service  of 
the  families  of  the  sous  of  the  Gershouites  in  the 
tent  of  meeting :  and  their  charge  shall  be 
under  the  hand  of  Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron 
the  priest. 

29  As  for  the  sons  of  Merari,  thou  shalt  number 
them  by  their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses  ; 

30  from  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto 
fifty  years  old  shalt  thou  number  them,  every 
one  that  entereth  upon  the  service,  to  do  the 

31  work  of  the  tent  of  meeting.  And  this  is  the 
charge  of  their  burden,  according  to  all  their 
service  in  the  tent  of  meeting  ;  the  boards  of  the 
tabernacle,  and  the  bars  thereof,  and  the  pillars 

32  thereof,  and  the  sockets  thereof ;  and  the  pillars 
of  the  court  round  about,  and  their  sockets,  and 
their  pins,  and  their  cords,  with  all  their  instru- 
ments, and  with  all  their  service :  and  by  name 
ye  shall  appoint  the  instruments  of  the  charge 

33  of  their  burden.  This  is  the  service  of  the 
families  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  according  to  all 
their  service,  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  under  the 
hand  of  Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest. 

34  And  Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  princes  of  the 
congregation  numbered  the  sons  of  the  Ko- 
hathites by  their  families,  and  by  their  fathers' 

35  houses,  from  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even 
unto'fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entered  upon 
the  service,  for  work  in  the  tent  of  meeting : 

36  and  those  that  were  numbered  of  them  by  their 
families  were  two  thousand  seven  hundred  and 

37  fifty.  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  of 
the  families  of  the  Kohathites,  all  that  did 
serve  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  whom  Moses  and 
Aaron  numbered  according  to  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  ]\Ioses. 

38  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  the  sons  of 
Gershon,  by  their  families,  and  by  their  fathers' 

39  houses,  from  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even 
unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entered  upon 
the  service,  for  work  in  the  tent  of  meeting, 

40  even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  by 
their  families,  by  their  fathers'  houses,  were  two 

41  thousand  and  six  hundred  and  thirty.  These 
are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the  families  of 
the  sons  of  Gershon,  all  that  did  serve  in  the 
tent  of  meeting,  whom  Moses  and  Aaron  num- 
bered according  to  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord. 

42  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  the  families 
of  the  sons  of  Merari,  by  their  families,  by  their 


of  meeting  and  the  court,  with  their  coverings 
and  their  door  screens,  with  all  the  cords  and 
tools  necessary  for  setting  them  up  and  keeping 
them  in  order.  They  were  subject  to  the  orders 
of  the  priests,  their  special  superintendent  being 
Ithamar,  the  second  surviving  son  of  Aaron. 

The  Merarites,  as  in  chap.  3  and  in  identical 
language,  are  assigned  to  the  charge  and  service 
of  the  heavy  and  solid  structural  parts  of  the 
tabernacle  and  court — the  boards  and  bars  and 
pillars,  with  their  bases.  All  the  tools  of  their 
work  were  to  be  assigned  in  charge  by  name 
and  Ithamar  was  to  be  their  superintendent.  It 
will  be  noted  that  for  the  heavy  transportation 
that  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Gershonites  and  Mera- 


rites wagons  were  provided,  the  offerings  of  the 
princes  of  the  tribes  being  turned  over  to  that 

service  (see  7  :  1-8). 

34-49.  The  number  of  the  Levites  who  were 
between  thirty  and  fifty  years  of  age  bears  a 
fair  average  proportion  to  that  of  those  from  a 
month  old  and  upward  (3 :  39)^  but  the  family  of 
Merari,  which  presented  the  smallest  total  from 
a  month  old — six  thousand  two  hundred  as  com- 
pared with  the  seven  thousand  five  hundred  and 
eight  thousand  six  hundred  of  Gershon  and 
Kohath  respectively — has  altogether  the  largest 
number  of  effectives  from  thirty  to  fifty  years, 
having  three  thousand  two  hundred  as  against 
two  thousand  six  hundred  and  thirty  and  two 


26 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  V. 


43  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto 
fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  entereth  into  the 
service,  for  the  work  in  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  ^     ,    .  , 

44  Even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them  after 
their  families,  were  three  thousand  and  two 
hundred.  ,      .     , 

45  These  be  those  that  were  numbered  of  the 
families  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  whom  Moses  and 
Aaron  numbered  according  to  the  word  of  the 
L(jrd  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

4G  All  those  that  were  numbered  of  the  Levites, 
\vhom  Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  chief  of  Israel 
numbered,  after  their  families,  and  after  the  house 
of  their  fathers, 

47  From  thirty  years  old  and  upward  even  unto 
fifty  years  old,  every  one  that  came  to  do  the  serv- 
ice of  the  ministry,  and  the  service  of  the  burden 
in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 

48  Even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were 
eight  tliousand  and  five  hundred  and  fourscore. 

49  According  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord 
they  were  numbered  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  every 
one  according  to  his  service,  and  according  to  his 
burden :  thus  were  they  numbered  of  him,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 


43  fathers'  houses,  from  thirty  years  old  and  up- 
ward even  unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that 
entered  upon  the  service,  for  work  in  the  tent  of 

44  meeting,  even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them 
by  their  families,  were  three  tliousand  and  two 

45  hundred.  These  are  they  that  were  numbered 
of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Merari,  whom 
Moses  and  Aaron  numbered  according  to  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of 
Moses. 

46  All  those  that  were  numbered  of  the  Levites, 
whom  Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  princes  of 
Israel  numbered,  by  their  families,  and  by  their 

47  fathers'  houses,  from  thirty  years  old  and  up- 
ward even  unto  fifty  years  old,  every  one  that 
entered  in  to  do  the  work  of  service,  and  the 
work  of  bearing  burdens  in  the  tent  of  meet- 

48  ing,  even  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
were  eight  thousand    and    five    hundred    and 

49  fourscore.  According  to  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord  they  were  numbered  by  the  hand  of 
Moses,  every  one  according  to  his  service,  and 
according  to  his  burden  :  thus  were  they  num- 
bered of  him,  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 


CHAPTER    V. 


1  AND  the  Lord  sprite  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  put 
out  of  the  camp  every  leper,  and  every  one  that 
hath  an  issue,  and  whosoever  is  defiled  by  the 
dead : 

3  Both  male  and  female  shall  ye  put  out,  with- 
out the  camp  shall  ye  put  them ;  that  they  defile 
not  their  camps,  in  the  midst  whereof  I  dwell. 

4  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  so,  and  put 
them  out  without  the  camp:  as  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Moses,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel. 

5  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  put 
out  of  the  camp  every  leper,  and  every  one  that 
hath  an  issue,  and  whosoever  is  unclean  by  the 

3  dead :  both  male  and  female  shall  ye  put  out, 
without  the  camp  shall  ye  put  them  ;  that  they 
defile  not  their  camp,  in  the  midst  whereof  I 

4  dwell.  And  the  children  of  Israel  did  so,  and 
put  them  out  without  the  camp :  as  the  Lord 
spake  unto  Moses,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel. 

5  And    the   Lord    spake    unto   Moses,   saying. 


thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  in  these  other 
families.  As  to  the  age  at  which  the  Levites 
entered  upon  service,  compare  8 :  24,  which  fixes 
it  at  twenty-five  years.   See  note  on  that  passage. 


Chap.  5.  Laws  on  various  subjects. 
The  laws  in  this  and  the  following  chapter  con- 
cern themselves  with  the  sanctity  of  the  congre- 
gation, and  evidently  sprang  from  exigencies 
which  arose  from  time  to  time  in  the  life  of  the 
nation  calling  for  judicial  ruling  or  legislation. 
It  would  perhaps  be  fanciful  to  call  these  chap- 
ters an  account  of  the  spiritual  organization  of 
the  congregation  of  Israel,  as  chap.  1-4  relate 
the  outward  organization  of  the  camp  prepara- 
tory to  its  journey. 

1-4.  1.  Exclusion  of  the  leprous  and  un- 
clean from  the  camp.  This  first  regulation  is 
more  like  a  cleansing  or  preparation  of  the  camp 
for  the  journey  than  the  other  laws  in  these 
chapters.  It  is  legislation  for  the  camp  rather 
than  for  the  individual,  and  is  founded  on  a 
vivid  sense  of  the  presence  of  Jehovah  in  the 
camp  (vtr.  3)^  and  the  consequent  necessity  that 
the  camp  should  be  healthful  and  pure.  Ac- 
cording to  the  regulation  in  Leviticus  confirmed 
lepers  were  to  have  their  dwelling  outside  of 
the  camp  (Lev.  is  :  46),  and  the  man  or  woman 


with  an  issue  (iwd.,  chap.  i5)  was  regarded  as  so 
potent  to  contribute  defilement  by  the  mere 
touch  that  the  rigid  isolation  of  such  sufferers, 
especially  on  the  march,  was  the  only  safeguard 
against  their  causing  widespread  inconvenience 
among  their  fellows.  The  third  case  is  that  of 
those  who  are  unclean  by  the  dead,  or,  accord- 
ing to  the  literal  reading,  by  a  soul,  as  if  the 
animal  soul  in  its  escape  from  the  body  was 
regarded  as  diff"using  a  mysterious  effluvium 
capable  of  defiling  the  whole  atmosphere  of 
the  house  or  tent.  Some  passages  like  that  in 
19  :  13,  where  a  person  is  spoken  of  as  touching 
the  soul  (not  dead  body)  of  a  man  who  is  dead, 
or  in  Ps.  17  :  9  where  in  soul  is  used  in  the  sense 
of  "deadly,"  seem  to  indicate  that  the  ancient 
Hebrew  attributed  the  power  of  the  dead  to 
defile  to  the  escaping  soul  or  ghost. 

This  passage  relates  how,  in  response  to  the 
command  of  God,  the  children  of  Israel  took 
the  definite  step  at  this  time  of  providing  for 
those  who  were  in  constant  danger  of  rendering 
their  fellows  unclean,  places  outside  of  the  camp. 

5-10,  2.  Law  of  compensation  for  fraud  in 
case  the  injured  person  is  dead  and  has  no  next 
of  kin.  This  passage  is  a  repetition  and  sup- 
plement to  the  regulation  with  regard  to  the 
guilt  otfering  given  in  Lev.  5  :  14  to  6 :  7.  The  sin 


Ch.  v.] 


NUMBEES 


27 


6  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  When  a  man 
or  woman  shall  commit  any  sin  that  men  commit, 
to  do  a  trespass  against  the  Lord,  and  that  person 
be  guilty ; 

7  Then  they  shall  confess  their  sin  which  they 
have  done:  and  he  shall  recompense  his  trespass 
with  the  principal  thereof,  and  add  unto  it  the 
fifth  part  thereof,  and  give  it  unto  him  against 
whom  he  hath  trespassed. 

8  But  if  the  man  have  no  kinsman  to  recompense 
the  trespass  unto,  let  the  trespass  be  recompensed 
unto  the  Lord,  even  to  the  priest ;  beside  the  ram  of 
the  atonement,  whereby  an  atonement  shall  be 
made  for  him. 

9  And  every  offering  of  all  the  holy  things  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  which  they  bring  unto  the 
priest,  shall  be  his. 

10  And  every  man's  hallowed  things  shall  be  his : 
whatsoever  any  man  giveth  the  priest,  it  shall  be 
his. 

11  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

12  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say 
unto  them,  If  any  man's  wife  go  aside,  and  commit 
a  trespass  against  him, 

13  And  a  man  lie  with  her  carnally,  and  it  be  hid 
from  tlie  eyes  of  her  husband,  and  be  kept  close, 
and  she  be  defiled,  and  there  he  no  witness  against 
her,  neither  she  be  taken  with  the  manner ; 

14  And  the  spirit  of  jealousy  come  upon  him,  and 
he  be  jealous  of  his  wife,  and  she  be  defiled  :  or  if 
the  spirit  of  jealousy  come  upon  him,  and  he  be 
jealous  of  his  wife,  and  she  be  not  defiled  : 

15  Then  shall  the  man  bring  his  wife  unto  the 
priest,  and  he  shall  bring  her  offering  for  her,  the 
tenth  part  of  an  ephah  of  barley  meal ;  he  shall 
pour  no  oil  upon  it,  nor  put  frankincense  thereon  ; 
for  it  is  an  offering  of  jealousy,  an  offering  of 
memorial,  bringing  iniquity  to  remembrance. 


6  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel.  When  a  man 
or  woman  shall  commit  any  sin  that  men  com- 
mit, to  do  a  trespass  against  the  Lord,  and  that 

7  soul  be  guilty  ;  then  they  shall  confess  their  sin 
which  they  have  done :  and  he  shall  make 
restitution  for  his  guilt  in  full,  and  add  unto 
it  the  fifth  part  thereof,  and  give  it  unto  him  in 

8  respect  of  whom  he  hath  been  guilty.  But  if 
the  man  have  no  kinsman  to  whom  restitution 
may  be  made  for  the  guilt,  the  restitution  for 
guilt  which  is  made  unto  the  Lord  shall  be  the 
priest's ;  besides  the  ram  of  the  atonement, 
whereby  atonement  shall    be  made    for    liim. 

9  And  every  heave  offering  of  all  the  holy  things 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  they  present 

10  unto  the  priest,  shall  be  his.  And  every  man's 
hallowed  things  shall  be  his:  whatsoever  any 
man  giveth  the  priest,  it  shall  be  his. 

11  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

12  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them.  If  any  man's  wife  go  aside,  and  commit  a 

13  trespass  against  him,  and  a  man  lie  with  her 
carnally,  and  it  be  hid  from  the  eyes  of  her  hus- 
band, and  be  kept  close,  and  she  be  defiled,  and 
there  be  no  witness  against  her,  neither  she  be 

14  taken  in  the  act;  and  the  spirit  of  jealousy 
come  upon  him,  and  he  be  jealous  of  his  wife, 
and  she  be  defiled :  or  if  the  spirit  of  jealousy 
come  upon  him,  and  he  be  jealous  of  his  wife, 

15  and  she  be  not  defiled :  then  shall  the  man 
bring  his  wife  unto  the  priest,  and  shall  bring 
her  oblation  for  her,  the  tenth  part  of  an  ephah 
of  barley  meal ;  he  shall  pour  no  oil  upon  it,  nor 
put  frankincense  thereon  ;  for  it  is  a  meal  offer- 
ing of  jealousy,  a  meal  offering  of  memorial, 


contemplated  is  a  breach  of  faith  with  regard 
to  the  holy  things  of  Jehovah,  or  some  false 
dealing  with  one's  neighbor  regarding  a  deposit 
or  pledge,  or  some  matter  of  robbery  or  oppres- 
sion, perhaps  in  keeping  back  wages  or  lost 
property  found — all  of  which  is  regarded  as  pri- 
marily a  /J'.n,  ma'al,  or  breach  of  faith  against 
Jehovah.  The  original  regulation  is  here  re- 
peated, viz.,  that  the  person  is  to  restore  the 
value,  with  the  addition  of  a  fifth,  to  the  person 
wronged.  The  supplementary  regulation  is, 
that  in  case  the  wronged  person,  who  is  sup- 
posed to  be  dead,  has  no  7N-1,  go  el,  or  nearest 
of  kin,  who  may  receive  the  restitution,  this 
shall  go  to  the  priest,  in  addition  to  the  ram, 
which  was  the  uniformly  required  victim  for 
the  guilt  offering.  Such  a  regulation  as  this 
was  needed  to  prevent  the  important  disciplin- 
ary practice  of  making  restitution  from  lapsing 
in  case  there  was  no  obvious  person  to  make  the 
claim.  At  the  same  time  it  is  a  regulation  wiiich 
would  not  very  naturally  be  made  along  with 
the  original  draft  of  the  law,  but  would  be  added 
as  a  supplement  after  the  rather  rare  case  had 
arisen  of  an  unsatisfied  claimant  dying  without 
any  go' el.  It  seems,  therefore,  to  be  an  instance  of 
case  law  arising  after  the  main  precept  had  been 
in  actual  operation  and  its  defects  discovered. 

Ver.  9  and  10  also  seem  to  reflect  a  condition 
of  carelessness  or  reluctance  on  the  part  of  the 


people  to  maintain  a  rigid  and  abundant  faith- 
fulness with  regard  to  the  HID ^"1^1,  t'rumoth,  or 
heave  offerings,  which  were  the  perquisite  of 
the  priests — a  condition  which  the  legislation 
sought  to  meet  by  impressing  the  people  that 
this  offering  was  not  a  mere  gratuity  to  the 
priest,  but  a  property  right,  the  withholding  of 
which  would  be  a  breach  of  faith.  In  ver.  10 
the  pronoun  his  means  the  pricsfs. 

11-31.  3.  Ordeal  prescribed  for  the  woman 
suspected  by  her  husband  of  unfaithfulness. 
This  is  the  only  case  of  the  employment  of 
the  ordeal  as  a  means  of  testing  the  guilt  of  an 
accused  person  in  the  Mosaic  law.  And  this, 
indeed,  is  not  so  much  an  ordeal  applied  as  a 
test  as  it  is  an  oath  of  purgation  ;  it  is  what  an 
ordeal  in  its  most  solemn  and  dignified  concep- 
tion has  been  defined  to  be — an  oath  in  which 
the  curse  invoked  is  expected  to  follow  imme- 
diately. As  compared  with  many  barbarous 
tests  which  were  in  use  in  Europe  up  to  com- 
paratively recent  times — tests  in  which  escape 
from  false  accusation  was  next  to  impossible,  or 
which  gave  to  malice  opportunities  for  judicial 
murder — this  simple  ordeal  is  remarkably  hu- 
mane. For  the  innocent  person  it  is  entirely 
harmless.  At  the  same  time,  with  its  solemn 
oath-taking  and  its  threat  of  mysterious  disease 
divinely  inflicted,  it  is  an  ordeal  which  a  guilty 
person  would  scarcely  have  the  hardihood  to 


28 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  V. 


16  And  the  priest  shall  bring  her  near,  and  set 
her  before  the  Lord :  .    ,  ^      . 

17  And  the  priest  shall  take  holy  water  in  an 
earthen  vessel ;  and  of  the  dust  that  is  in  the  floor 
of  the  tabernacle  the  priest  shall  take,  and  put  it 
into  the  water :  ,  ,    ,       ,^ 

18  And  the  priest  shall  set  the  woman  before  the 
Lord,  and  uncover  the  woman's  head,  and  put  the 
offering  of  memorial  in  her  hands,  which  is  the 
jealousy  offering  :  and  the  priest  shall  have  in  his 
hand  the  bitter  water  that  causeth  the  curse  : 

19  And  the  priest  shall  charge  her  by  an  oath, 
and  say  unto  the  woman,  If  no  man  have  lain  with 
thee,  and  if  thou  hast  not  gone  aside  to  unclean- 
ness  with  a7iother  instead  of  thy  husband,  be  thou 
free  from  this  bitter  water  that  causeth  the  curse: 

20  But  if  thou  hast  gone  aside  to  another  instead 
of  thy  husband,  and  if  thou  be  defiled,  and  some 
man  have  lain  with  thee  beside  thine  husband  : 

21  Then  the  priest  shall  charge  the  woman  with 
an  oath  of  cursing,  and  the  priest  shall  say  unto 
the  woman.  The  Lord  make  thee  a  curse  and  an 
oath  among  thy  people,  when  the  Lord  doth  make 
thy  thigh  to  rot,  and  thy  belly  to  swell ; 

22  And  this  water  that  causeth  the  curse  shall  go 
into  thy  bowels,  to  make  thy  belly  to  swell,  and  thy 
thigh  to  rot:  And  the  woman  shall  say,  Amen, 
amen. 

23  And  the  priest  shall  write  these  curses  in  a 
book,  and  he  shall  blot  theia  out  with  the  bitter 
water : 

24  And  he  shall  cause  the  woman  to  drink  the 
bitter  water  that  causeth  the  curse  :  and  the  water 
that  causeth  the  curse  shall  enter  into  her,  and 

25  Then  the  priest  shall  take  the  jealousy  offer- 
ing out  of  the  woman's  hand,  and  shall  wave  the 
offering  before  the  Lord,  and  offer  it  upon  the 
altar : 


16  bringing  iniquity  to  remembrance.  And  the 
priest  shall  bring  her  near,  and  set  her  before 

17  the  Lord :  and  the  priest  shall  take  holy  water 
in  an  earthen  vessel ;  and  of  the  dust  that  is  on 
the  floor  of  the  tabernacle  the  priest  shall    take, 

18  and  put  it  into  the  water :  and  the  priest  shall 
set  the  woman  before  the  Lord,  and  let  the 
hair  of  the  woman's  head  go  loose,  and  put  the 
meal  offering  of  memorial  in  her  hands,  which 
is  the  meal  offering  of  jealousy  :  and  the  priest 
shall  have  in  his  hand  the  water  of  bitterness 

19  that  causeth  the  curse:  and  the  priest  shall 
cause  her  to  swear,  and  shall  say  unto  the 
woman,  If  no  man  have  lien  with  thee,  and  if 
thou  hast  not  gone  aside  to  uncleanness,  being 
under  thy  husband,  be  thou  free  from  this  water 

20  of  bitterness  that  causeth  the  curse  :  but  if  thou 
hast  gone  aside,  being  under  thy  husband,  and 
if  thou  be  defiled,  and  some  man  have  lien  with 

21  thee  besides  thine  husband  :  then  the  priest 
shall  cause  the  woman  to  swear  witii  the  oath 
of  cursing,  and  the  priest  shall  say  unto  the 
woman,  The  Lord  make  thee  a  curse  and  an 
oath  among  thy  people,  when  the  Lord  doth 
make  thy  thigh  to  fall  away,  and  thy  belly  to 

22  swell;  and  this  water  that  causeth  "the  curse 
shall  go  into  thy  bowels,  and  make  thy  belly  to 
swell,   and    thy  thigh  to  fall   away:    and  the 

23  woman  shall  say,  Amen,  Amen.  And  the  priest 
shall  write  the^e  curses  in  a  book,  and  he  shall 

24  blot  them  out  into  the  water  of  bitterness  :  and 
he  shall  make  the  woman  drink  the  water  of 
bitterness  that  causeth  the  curse  :  and  the  water 
that  causeth  the  curse  shall  enter  into  her  a?i(i 

25  become  bitter.  And  the  priest  shall  take  the 
meal  offering  of  jealousy  out  of  the  woman's 
hand,  and  shall  wave  the  meal  offering  before 


brave.  The  suspected  woman  is  brought  by  her 
husband  to  the  priest  with  a  nnjp,  minchah,  or 
meal  offering,  consisting  of  barley  meal,  a  coarse, 
cheap  food,  unaccompanied  by  oil  or  incense,  as 
it  is  a  minchah  not  expressing  fellowship,  but 
bringing  sin  to  remembrance.  The  priest  sol- 
emnly places  her  before  Jehovah  and  loosens 
the  locks  of  her  head.  Then  as  she  holds  the 
minchah  of  memorial  in  her  hand,  the  priest 
holding  in  his  hands  a  "water  of  bitterness 
that  causeth  a  curse,"  which  he  has  prepared  of 
holy  water  mingled  with  dust  of  the  sanctuary 
floor,  solemnly  administers  to  her  the  "oath  of 
cursing,"  bidding  her  be  unharmed  in  case  she 
is  innocent,  but  imprecating  the  divine  curse 
in  case  she  is  guilty,  to  which  she  responds, 
"  Amen,  amen."  The  curse  is  then  written  in 
a  book  and  blotted  into  the  water  of  bitterness  ; 
the  "  memorial "  of  the  meal  offering  is  burned 
on  the  altar,  and  then  the  woman  is  made  to 
drink  the  water  impregnated  with  the  ink  of 
the  written  curse.  The  expectation  of  the  law 
is  that  if  the  woman  is  guilty  the  consequences 
will  miraculously  follow  as  imprecated  in  the 
curse,  and  thus  the  truth  will  be  brought  to  light. 
In  common  with  the  forms  of  ordeal  appear- 
ing in  the  history  of  other  nations,  this  test  is 
an  appeal  to  a  miraculous  interposition  for  the 
establishing  of  the  person's  guilt  or  innocence. 


But  in  the  application  of  the  test  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served that  it  is  not  innocence  which  is  to  be 
established,  but  guilt  which  is  to  be  brought  to 
light,  by  supernatural  agency.  In  other  words, 
instead  of  a  miracle  of  deliverance  it  is  a  mir- 
acle of  judgment.  To  require  a  miracle  of  an 
innocent  person  is  to  throw  the  weight  of 
chances  overwhelmingly  on  the  side  of  con- 
demnation, while  to  require  the  miracle  on  the 
side  of  guilt  is  to  increase  the  chance  of  acquittal. 
This  law,  so  far  from  being  a  mark  of  barbar- 
ism and  the  unfeeling  degradation  of  woman, 
was  rather  a  most  beneficent  means  for  estab- 
lishing the  suspected  wife's  innocence  and  so 
preserving  the  integrity  of  the  family.  Among 
the  Jews,  especially  under  rabbinical  teaching, 
divorces  were  very  hasty  and  arbitrary.  As  the 
establishment  of  cities  of  refuge  tended  to  miti- 
gate the  evils  of  the  practice  of  private  ven- 
geance, so  the  use  of  this  ordeal,  just  in  propor- 
tion as  husbands  had  faith  in  its  verdict,  would 
tend  to  lessen  the  frequency  and  injustice  of  that 
custom  of  divorce  which  the  law  was  obliged 
to  allow  on  account  of  the  hardness  of  men's 
hearts.  The  punishment  for  adultery  was 
death  (Lev.  20  :  lo) ;  but  without  being  able  to 
prove  the  crime  many  a  jealous  husband  would 
be  content  to  put  away  his  wife  and  so  break  up 
his  family.    Once  fallen  under  her  husband's 


Ch.  VL] 


NUMBEES 


29 


26  And  the  priest  shall  take  an  handful  of  the 
ofifering,  even  the  meuiorial  thereof,  and  burn  it 
upon  the  altar,  and  afterward  shall  cause  the 
woman  to  drink  the  water. 

27  And  when  he  hath  made  her  to  drink  the 
water,  then  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that,  if  she  be  de- 
filed, and  have  done  trespass  against  her  husband, 
that  the  water  that  causeth  the  curse  shall  enter 
into  her,  and  become  bitter,  and  her  belly  shall 
swell,  and  her  thigh  shall  rot:  and  the  woman 
shall  be  a  curse  among  her  people. 

28  And  if  the  woman  be  not  defiled,  but  be 
clean ;  then  she  shall  be  free,  and  shall  conceive 
seed. 

29  This  is  the  law  of  jealousies,  when  a  wife 
goeth  aside  to  another  instead  of  her  husband,  and 
is  defiled  ; 

30  Or  when  the  spirit  of  jealousy  cometh  upon 
him,  and  he  be  jealous  over  his  wife,  and  shall  set 
the  woman  before  the  Lord,  and  the  priest  shall 
execute  upon  her  all  this  law. 

31  Then  shall  the  man  be  guiltless  from  iniquity, 
and  this  woman  shall  bear  her  iniquity. 


26  the  Lord,  and  bring  it  unto  the  altar:  and  the 
priest  shall  take  an  handful  of  the  meal  offer- 
ing, as  the  memorial  thereof,  and  burn  it  upon 
the  altar,  and  afterward  shall  make  the  woman 

27  drink  the  water.  And  when  he  hath  made  her 
drink  the  water,  then  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  she 
be  defiled,  and  have  committed  a  trespass  against 
her  husband,  that  the  water  that  causeth  the 
curse  shall  enter  into  her  and  become  bitter,  and 
her  belly  shall  swell,  and  her  thigh  shall  fall 
away:  and  the  woman  shall  be  a  curse  among 

28  her  people.  And  if  the  woman  be  not  defiled, 
but  be  clean ;  then  she  shall  be  free,  and  shall 

29  conceive  seed.  This  is  the  law  of  jealousy, 
when  a  wife,  being  under  her  husband,  goeth 

30  aside,  and  is  defiled ;  or  when  the  spirit  of 
jealousy  cometh  upon  a  man,  and  he  be  jealous 
over  his  wife ;  then  shall  he  set  the  woman 
before  the  Lord,  and  the  priest  shall  execute 

31  upon  her  all  this  law.  And  the  man  shall  be 
free  from  iniquity,  and  that  woman  shall  bear 
her  iniquity. 


CHAPTER    VI 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  either  man  or  woman  shall  separate 
themseives  to  vow  a  vow  of  a  Nazarite,  to  separate 
themselves  unto  the  Lord  : 

3  He  shall  separate  himself  from  wine  and  strong 


1  AND   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them.  When  either  man  or  woman  shall  make  a 
special  vow,  the  vow  of  a  Nazirite,  to  separate 

3  himself  unto  the  Lord:  he  shall  separate  him- 
self from  wine  and  strong  drink  ;  he  shall  drink 


suspicion,  the  woman  would  find  it  extremely 
difficult  to  prove  her  innocence.  This  ordeal 
simply  leaves  the  fact  to  the  verdict  of  God. 
By  refusing  to  undergo  the  test  the  woman 
would  virtually  confess  the  crime ;  while  for 
the  sake,  if  possible,  of  regaining  her  husband's 
confidence  how  many  a  faithful  and  heart-broken 
wife  would  welcome  the  opportunity  of  estab- 
lishing her  innocence  by  the  oath  of  purga- 
tion. In  many  cases,  where  the  jealousy  of  the 
husband  was  not  altogether  senseless  and  wicked, 
it  may  be  presumed  that  the  peace  and  happi- 
ness of  families  w^as  restored  by  this  solemn 
test.  In  view  of  this  obvious  probability  the 
law  appears  not  degrading  to  womanhood,  but 
humane  and  tending  to  the  amelioration  of  the 
customs  of  the  people. 

The  consequence  of  the  observance  of  this 
law,  as  given  in  ver.  31,  is  that  the  man 
shall  be  guiltless  from  iniquity,  and 
this  woman  shall  bear  her  iniquity. 
The  man  is  certainly  kept  guiltless  from  ini- 
quity if  he  is  prevented  from  unjustly  divorcing 
his  wife ;  and  he  is  freed  from  doubtful  self- 
accusation  if  he  finds  that  he  had  indubitable 
reason  for  his  jealousy.  The  Avoman  "bears 
her  iniquity,"  ^.  e.,  she  stands  vindicated  or  con- 
demned according  to  her  own  divinely  revealed 
desert,  and  not  according  to  the  doubtful  suspi- 
cions or  opinions  of  others. 


Chap.  6.  The  law  of  the  Nazaeite, 

AND  THE  FORMULA  FOR  THE  PRIESTLY  BENE- 
DICTION.    This  is  the  only  place  in  the  law 


where  the  Nazarite  is  taken  notice  of.  There 
are  several  examples  mentioned  in  the  Bible  of 
vows  more  or  less  resembling  the  Nazarite  vow, 
these  vows  being  of  two  kinds,  those  taken  for 
life  and  those  taken  for  a  temporary  period.  It 
is  the  latter  kind  alone  that  is  considered  here. 

1-12.  A  Nazarite  means  one  separated  or  con- 
secrated. The  form  in  which  the  law  of  the 
Nazarite  is  introduced  indicates  that  the  law- 
giver is  not  creating  or  inculcating  a  custom, 
but  recognizing  an  impulse  in  the  religious  mind 
which  is  often  led  to  express  itself  in  vows  of 
special  consecration,  bringing  these  under  the 
cognizance  of  the  priest,  and  prescribing  their 
orderly  manner  of  fulfillment  and  completion. 
The  disposition  to  make  such  vows  is  taken  as  a 
matter  of  course.  "  The  law  is  simply  an  attempt 
at  a  late  stage  of  Israel's  history  to  regulate  an 
institution  that  has  grown  up  independently  of 
it"  (Hastings,  "Bib.  Diet."). 

There  has  in  all  ages  existed  among  those  of 
more  enthusiastic  temperament  that  species  of 
religious  feeling  which  could  satisfy  itself  only 
in  some  voluntary  self-dedication  to  God  beyond 
the  requirements  of  obligation,  and  beyond  the 
everyday  possibilities  of  secular  life.  Several 
instances  are  given  in  the  Bible  of  the  Nazarite 
vow,  or  a  vow  partaking  of  some  of  its  features, 
as  a  life-vow,  assumed  indeed  on  behalf  of  the 
child  by  the  parents  before  his  birth,  as  in  the 
case  of  Samson,  Samuel,  and  John  the  Baptist. 
In  this  place  the  vow  is  described  only  in  its 
temporary  and  perhaps  stricter  form,  and  its 
termination  is  treated,  not  as  its  weak  abandon- 


80 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  VI. 


driuk,  and  shall  drink  no  vinegar  of  wnie,  or  vme- 
p  ir  of  hiroug  drink,  neitlier  sliall  he  drink  any 
liquor  of  grapes,  nor  eat  inoibb  grapes  or  dried. 

4  All  the  days  of  his  separation  shall  he  eat  noth- 
ing that  is  made  of  the  vine  tree,  from  the  kernels 
even  to  the  husk.  ^.       ^u 

5  All  the  days  of  the  vow  of  his  separation  there 
shall  no  razor  come  upon  his  head :  until  the  days 
be  fullilled,  in  the  which  he  separated  himself  unto 
tlie  Lord,  he  shall  be  holy,  and  shall  let  the  locks 
of  the  hair  of  his  head  grow. 

0  All  tiie  days  that  he  separateth  himself  unto  the 
Lord  he  shall  come  at  no  dead  body. 

7  He  shall  not  make  himself  unclean  for  his 
father,  or  for  his  mother,  for  his  brother,  or  for  his 
sister,  wlien  they  die :  because  the  consecration  of 
his  God  is  upon  his  head. 

8  All  tlie  days  of  his  separation  he  is  holy  unto 
the  Lord. 

9  And  if  any  man  die  very  suddenly  by  him,  and 
he  hath  dcliled  the  head  of  his  consecration ;  then 
he  shall  shave  his  head  in  the  day  of  his  cleansing, 
on  the  seventh  day  shall  he  shave  it. 

10  And  on  the  eighth  day  he  shall  bring  two 
turtles,  or  two  young  pigeons,  to  the  priest,  to  tiie 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation ; 

11  And  the  iiriest  shall  offer  the  one  for  a  sin  of- 
fering, and  tlie  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  and 
make  an  atonement  for  him,  for  that  he  sinned  by 
the  dead,  and  shall  hallow  his  head  that  same  day. 

12  And  he  shall  consecrate  unto  the  Lord  the 
days  of  his  separation,  and  shall  bring  a  lamb  of 
the  first  year  for  a  trespass  offering:  but  the  days 
that  were  before  shall  be  lost,  because  his  separa- 
tion was  defiled. 


no  vinegar  of  wine,  or  vinegar  of  strong  drink, 
neither  shall  he  driuk  any  liquor  of  grapes,  nor 

4  eat  fresh  grapes  or  dried.  All  the  days  of  his 
separation  shall  he  eat  nothing  that  is  made  of 
the  grape-vine,  from  the  kernels  even  to  the 

5  husk.  All  the  days  of  his  vow  of  separation 
there  shall  no  razor  come  upon  his  head  :  until 
the  days  be  fulfilled,  in  the  which  he  separateth 
himself  unto  the  Lord,  he  shall  be  holy,  he  shall 
let  the  locks  of  the  hair  of  his  head  grow  long. 

6  All  the  days  that  he  separateth  himself  unto  the 
Lord  he  shall  not  come  near  to  a  dead  body. 

7  He  shall  not  make  himself  unclean  for  his  father, 
or  for  his  mother,  for  his  brother,  or  for  his  sis- 
ter, Avhen  they  die :  because  his  separation  unto 

8  God  is  upon  his  head.    All  the  days  of  his  separa- 

9  tion  he  is  holy  unto  the  Lord.  And  if  any  man 
die  very  suddenly  beside  him,  and  he  defile  the 
head  of  his  separation ;  then  he  shall  shave  his 
head  in  the  day  of  his  cleansing,  on  the  seventh 

10  day  shall  he  shave  it.  And  on  the  eighth  day 
he  shall  bring  two  turtledoves,  or  two  young 
pigeons,  to  the  priest,  to  the  door  of  the  tent  of 

11  meeting:  and  the  priest  shall  offer  one  for  a  sin 
offering,  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  and 
make  atonement  for  him,  for  that  he  sinned  by 
reason  of  the  dead,  and  shall  hallow  his  head 

12  that  same  day.  And  he  shall  separate  unto  the 
Lord  the  days  of  his  separation,  and  shall  bring 
a  he-lamb  of  the  first  year  for  a  guilt  offering: 
but  the  former  days  shall  be  void,  because  his 
separation  was  defiled. 


ment,  but  as  its  natural  culmination,  or  occasion 
for  sacrifices  as  a  part  of  the  vow  itself. 

Any  form  of  sanctity  adopted  simply  to  sepa- 
rate or  distinguish  the  person  from  other  men  is 
from  a  rational  point  of  view  more  or  less  arbi- 
trary and  artificial.  The  professionally  holy 
man  is  by  his  very  separateness  robbed  to  some 
degree  of  his  common  usefulness  and  helpful 
sympathy  with  ordinary  life.  His  influence  as 
a  consecrated  person  is  that  of  a  witness  or  re- 
minder of  the  claims  of  a  higher  life,  rather  than 
of  a  preeminent  helper  in  the  sphere  of  this 
life.  Such  schemes  of  voluntaiy  holiness  gen- 
erally embody  as  their  distinctive  features  one 
or  more  of  three  essential  elements :  some  form 
of  abstinence  from  the  pleasures  of  life,  some 
distinctive  mark  or  visible  token  of  sanctity, 
and  the  strict  avoidance  of  what  is  recognized  as 
defiling.  These  three  elements  are  embodied 
in  the  vow  of  the  Nazarite.  He  is  to  abstain 
from  the  grape,  the  accepted  symbol  of  pleasure 
and  luxury — not  only  from  its  intoxicating  wine 
but  from  the  fresh  or  dried  fruit,  or  anything 
prepared  from  the  grape  "from  seeds  to  skin  " 
(ver.  4).  This  element  in  the  conception  of  supe- 
rior sanctity  may  be  a  reminiscence  of  the  old 
nomadic  life,  thought  of  as  a  more  "  golden" 
or  exemplary  age  than  the  later  and  more  lux- 
urious times  in  Canaan  which  was  characteris- 
tically a  land  of  vines.  All  the  days  of  his 
separation  lie  is  to  allow  no  razor  to  come  upon 
his  head,  but  is  to  make  great  the  free  growth  of 


the  hair  of  his  head  (ver.  5).  The  hair  seems  to 
be  taken  not  only  as  the  visible  badge,  but  in  a 
sense  as  the  seat  of  the  person's  consecration ; 
his  vow  centers,  so  to  speak,  in  his  head.  He 
is  to  abstain  from  defilement  because  "the 
separation  of  his  God  "  (ver.  i),  or,  as  some  would 
translate,  the  "diadem  of  his  God,"  is  on  his 
head.  The  employment  of  the  same  Hebrew 
term  in  this  connection  as  that  used  to  designate 
the  priest's  diadem  may  possibly  indicate  that 
in  the  mind  of  the  lawgiver  there  is  a  sort  of 
identity  between  the  two ;  as  the  priest's  diadem 
was  the  mark  of  "  holiness  to  the  Lord,"  so  the 
Nazarite's  diadem  of  unshorn  locks  was  the 
badge  of  a  similar  consecration.  An  accidental 
death  near  him  defiles  the  head  of  his  separation 
(ver.  9),  and  when  he  renews  his  vow  he  is  to 
"  hallow  his  head "  (ver.  n).  The  symbolism  of 
the  uncut  locks  has  received  many  conjectural 
explanations.  I  take  it  that  as  simple  and 
obvious  an  impression  as  any  produced  by  the 
Nazarite's  personal  appearance  would  be  that 
he  was  honoring  God  and  his  work  by  letting 
himself  be  as  near  as  possible  as  God  made  him. 
As  abstinence  from  the  grape  was  a  witnessing 
against  luxury,  so  letting  the  hair  grow  was  a 
witnessing  against  artificiality  and  the  modish 
interference  with  God's  work. 

The  third  feature  of  the  Nazarite  vow  was  the 
rigid  avoidance  of  defilement  from  the  dead. 
The  Nazarite  was  not  to  approach  the  "  soul  of 
one  dead"  (ver.  6),  and  his  abstinence  from  the 


Ch.  VI.] 


NUMBERS 


31 


13  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  Nazarite,  when  the 
days  of  his  separatiou  are  fultilled :  he  shall  be 
brought  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation : 

14  And  he  shall  offer  his  offering  unto  the  Lord, 
one  he  lamb  of  the  first  year  without  blemish  for  a 
burnt  offering,  and  one  ewe  lamb  of  the  first  year 
without  blemish  for  a  sin  offering,  and  one  ram 
without  blemish  for  peace  offerings, 

15  And  a  basket  of  unleavened  bread,  cakes  of  fine 
flour  mingled  with  oil,  and  wafers  of  unleavened 
bread  anointed  with  oil,  and  their  meat  offering, 
and  their  drink  offerings. 

16  And  the  priest  shall  bring  them  before  the 
Lord,  and  shall  offer  his  sin  offering,  and  his  burnt 
offering  : 

17  And  he  shall  offer  the  ram  for  a  sacrifice  of 
peace  offerings  unto  the  Lord,  with  the  basket  of 
unleavened  bread :  the  priest  shall  offer  also  his 
meat  offering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

18  And  the  Nazarite  shall  shave  the  head  of  his 
separation  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  shall  take  the  hair  of  the  head  of 
his  separation,  and  put  it  in  the  fire  which  is  under 
the  sacrifice  of  tlie  peace  offerings. 

19  And  the  priest  shall  take  the  sodden  shoulder 
of  the  ram,  and  one  unleavened  cake  out  of  the 
basket,  and  one  unleavened  wafer,  and  shall  put 
them  upon  the  hands  of  the  Nazarite,  after  the  hair 
of  his  separation  is  shaven  : 

20  And  the  priest  shall  wave  them  for  a  wave  of- 
fering before  the  Lord  :  this  is  holy  for  the  priest, 
with  the  wave  breast  and  heave  shoulder :  and 
after  that  the  Nazarite  may  drink  wine. 


13  And  this  is  the  law  of  the  Nazirite,  when  the 
days  of  his  separation  are  fulfilled  :  he  shall  be 
brought  unto  tiie  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting : 

14  and  lie  shall  offer  his  oblation  unto  the  Lord, 
one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year  without  blemish 
for  a  burnt  offering,  and  one  ewe-lamb  of  the 
first  year  without  blemish  for  a  sin  offering,  and 
one  ram  without  blemish  for  peace  offerings, 

15  and  a  basket  of  unleavened  bread,  cakes  of  fine 
flour  mingled  with  oil,  and  unleavened  wafers 
anointed  with  oil,  and  their  meal  offering,  and 

16  their  drink  offerings.  And  the  priest  shall  pre- 
sent them  before  the  Lord,  and  shall  offer  his 

17  sin  offering,  and  his  burnt  offering  :  and  he  shall 
offer  the  ram  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings 
unto  the  Lord,  with  the  basket  of  unleavened 
bread  :  the  priest  shall  offer  also  the  meal  oft'er- 

18  ing  thereof,  and  the  drink  offering  thereof.  And 
the  Nazirite  shall  shave  the  head  of  his  separa- 
tion at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  shall 
take  the  hair  of  the  head  of  his  separation,  and 
put  it  on  the  fire  which  is  under  the  sacrifice  of 

19  peace  offerings.  And  the  priest  shall  take  the 
sodden  shoulder  of  the  ram,  and  one  unleavened 
cake  out  of  the  basket,  and  one  unleavened 
wafer,  and  shall  put  them  upon  the  hands  of  the 
Nazirite,  after  he  hath  shaven  the  head  of  his 

20  separation  :  and  tiie  priest  shall  wave  them  for 
a  wave  offering  before  the  Lord  ;  this  is  holy  for 
the  priest,  together  with  the  wave  breast  and 
heave  thigh:  and  after  that  the  Nazirite  may 


common  service  of  making  one's  self  unclean 
for  members  of  the  family  when  dead  was  to  be 
like  that  of  the  high  priest  (Lev.  21  :  ii).  If  a 
person  should  die  suddenly  near  him  he  was  to 
proceed  as  having  broken  his  vow.  On  the 
seventh  day,  the  day  of  his  cleansing,  he  was  to 
shave  his  head ;  and  the  next  day  he  was  to 
bring  to  the  priest  two  doves  or  two  young 
pigeons,  the  one  of  which  the  priest  would  offer 
for  a  sin  offering  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offer- 
ing, and  was  to  reconsecrate  his  head  that  day. 
By  a  guilt  offering  of  a  male  lamb  he  was  to  in- 
dicate that  he  had  trespassed  by  "defiling  his 
separation,"  and  the  time  which  had  already 
elapsed  in  the  fulfillment  of  his  vow  was  to  count 
for  nothing. 

13-21.  The  Nazarite  vow  was  naturally  taken 
for  a  given  period,  and  the  only  mentions  of  it  as 
a  voluntary  obligation  are  in  connection  with 
the  ceremonies  attending  its  termination.  As 
assumed  by  parents  for  their  children  for  the 
whole  life  the  vow  seems  not  to  have  embodied 
its  most  exacting  feature,  namely,  the  strict 
avoidance  of  contact  with  the  dead.  At  least 
Samson  in  his  free  handling  of  lions'  car- 
cases and  jawbones  ( Judg.  14  :  s,  9 ;  15  :  15)  seems 
to  have  shown  the  common  indifference  to  such 
defilement,  and  perhaps  Samuel  also  in  his 
treatment  of  Agag  (1  Sam.  15 :  33). 

Of  the  three  offerings  that  are  prescribed  to 
be  offered  when  the  vow  has  matured,  the  sin 
offering  is  to  be  offered  first,  as  paving  the  way 


by  the  removal  of  guilt  for  the  self-consecration 
expressed  by  the  burnt  offering  and  the  com- 
munion with  Jehovah  expressed  by  the  peace 
offering.  As  prescribed  in  Lev.  4,  the  sin  offering 
covers  for  the  awakened  conscience  any  possible 
cases  of  unintentional  transgression.  The  Naz- 
arite vow  as  expressing  a  higher  than  usual 
grade  of  consecration  would  also  indicate  a 
more  sensitive  state  of  the  conscience  ;  so  that 
the  completion  and  retrospect  of  the  holiest  j^e- 
riod  would  be  the  fullest  of  the  sense  of  short- 
coming. The  best  men  are  the  readiest  to  feel 
and  acknowledge  sin.  Hence  the  sin  offering  is  a 
very  characteristic  feature  of  the  Nazarite  vow. 
Having  stilled  the  apprehensions  of  a  sensi- 
tive conscience,  the  Nazarite  by  an  offering  still 
more  characteristic  of  this  period  of  completion 
expresses  that  happy  sense  of  communion  with 
God  and  enjoyment  of  his  favor  which  accom- 
panies the  feeling  of  having  accomplished  some- 
thing pleasing  to  him.  The  peace  offering 
banquet  with  the  priest  is  observed  in  its  full 
elaborateness,  not  omitting  the  boiled  shoulder 
consecrated  to  the  use  of  the  priest  by  waving, 
not,  however,  until  the  Nazarite  has  marked  the 
termination'of  his  vow  by  shaving  his  head  and 
offering  the  hair  on  the  fire  that  consumes  the 
"memorial  "  of  the  peace  offerings.  The  offer- 
ings which  were  obligatory,  besides  any  free- 
will offering  which  the  zealous  vower,  accord- 
ing to  his  means,  might  be  disposed  to  give — ' 
literally,  what  his  hand  attains  (ver.  21) — were 


32 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  VII. 


21  This  is  the  law  of  the  Nazarite  who  hath 
vowed,  and  of  his  otleiiHg  unto  the  Lord  for  his 
separation,  beside  that  tliat  his  hand  shall  get :  ac- 
c(jrding  to  the  vow  which  he  vowed,  so  he  must 
do  after  the  law  of  liis  separation. 

22  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2ii  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  unto  his  sons,  saying. 
On  this  wise  ye  shall  bless  the  children  of  Israel, 
saying  unto  them, 

24  The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee : 

25  The  Lord  make  his  face  shine  upon  thee,  and 
be  gracious  unto  thee : 

2t)  The  Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  thee, 
and  give  thee  peace. 

27  And  they  shall  put  my  name  upon  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel ;  and  I  will  bless  them. 


21  drink  wine.  This  is  the  law  of  the  Nazirite  who 
voweth,  and  of  his  oblation  unto  the  Lord  for 
his  separation,  beside  that  which  he  is  able  to 
get :  according  to  his  vow  which  he  voweth,  so 
he  must  do  after  the  law  of  his  separation. 

22  And   the   Lord    spake   unto    Moses,    saying, 

23  Speak  unto  Aaron  and  unto  his  sons,  saying.  On 
this  wise  ye  shall  bless  the  children  of  Israel ; 
ye  shall  say  unto  them, 

24  The  Lord  bless  thee,  and  keep  thee  : 

25  The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  thee, 
and  be  gracious  unto  thee : 

26  The  Lord  lift  up  his  countenance  upon  thee, 
and  give  thee  peace. 

27  So  shall  they  put  my  name  upon  the  children 
of  Israel ;  and  I  will  bless  them. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


1  AND  it  came  to  pass  on  the  day  that  Moses 
had  fully  set  up  the  tabernacle,  and  had  anointed 
it,  and  sanctified  it,  and  all  the  instruments  thereof, 
both  the  altar  and  all  the  vessels  thereof,  and  had 
anointed  them,  and  sanctified  them  ; 

2  That  the  princes  of  Israel,  heads  of  the  house 
of  their  fathers,  who  were  the  princes  of  the  tribes, 
and  were  over  them  that  were  numbered,  offered  : 


AND  it  came  to  pass  on  the  day  that  Moses 
had  made  an  end  of  setting  up  the  tabernacle, 
and  had  anointed  it  and  sanctified  it,  and  all 
the  furniture  thereof,  and  the  altar,  and  all 
the  vessels  thereof,  and  had  anointed  them 
and  sanctified  them ;  that  the  princes  of  Is- 
rael, the  heads  of  their  fathers'  houses,  of- 
fered ;  these  were  the  princes  of  the  tribes,  these 


somewhat  elaborate  and  expensive,  and  it  was 
regarded  as  an  act  of  piety  and  charity  to  help 
some  poor  man  free  himself  from  his  vow  by 

sharing  his  charges  (cf.  Acts  21 :  23,  eeq.  ;  Josephus,  Aut., 
XIX.,  6  :  1  ;   1  Mace.  3  :  49). 

22-27.  The  priestly  benediction.  The  func- 
tion of  blessing  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  was 
the  distinctive  point  which  marked  the  pre- 
rogative of  the  priest.  This  was  the  first  priestly- 
act  which  Aaron  performed  when  his  consecra- 
tion was  completed  (Lev.  9  :  22).  In  Deuteronomy- 
it  is  named  as  the  characteristic  function  of  the 
priestly  tribe  of  Levi  (oeut.  10  :  8)„  Here  the 
formula  to  be  used  in  this  solemn  priestly  serv- 
ice is  prescribed  ;  and  so  strikingly  beautiful  and 
comprehensive  is  this  unique  form  of  blessing 
that  it  became  for  the  devout  a  sort  of  compen- 
dium of  all  the  good  which  could  be  desired  of 
the  Lord  for  his  people  (eccIus.  36 :  it ;  Ps.  4:6).  It 
consists  of  three  pairs  of  clauses,  in  each  of 
which  the  second  verb  defines  more  closely  the 
idea  introduced  by  the  first.  There  is  the  wish 
for  a  divine  blessing  which  more  specifically 
embodies  itself  in  protection ;  there  is  the  wish 
for  the  shining  of  the  divine  countenance,  or 
God's  radiant  smile,  which  issues  in  favor  or 
grace ;  and  there  is  the  wish  for  a  lifting  up  of 
the  face,  or  divine  attention,  which  gives  peace. 
This  is  so  like  the  love  of  God,  and  the  grace  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  communion — 
the  distinctive  feeling  of  the  peace  offering — of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  expressed  in  the  apostolic  bene- 
diction (2  Cor.  13 :  14)  that  Christian  writers  have 
very  generally  felt  that  here  was  a  sort  of  fore- 
shadowing of  the  distinct  offices  of  the  three 
persons  of  the  Trinity,  and  so  a  sort  of  divine 
prophecy  of  that  characteristic  Christian  doc- 


trine. Without  exercising  our  ingenuity  un- 
duly in  finding  curious  coincidences  between 
the  germinal  ideas  of  the  Old  Testament  and 
the  developed  doctrines  of  the  New,  we  may  at 
least  say  this  much  :  that  when  the  right  and 
sane  religious  instinct  puts  forth  its  wish  it  de- 
sires of  God  all  the  forms  of  good  which  we 
think  of  as  coming  from  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit ;  so  that  any  comprehensive 
expression  for  the  full  prayer  of  humanity 
would  be  capable  of  analysis  into  something 
like  a  foregleam  of  the  Trinity.  The  defined  doc- 
trine of  the  Christian  church,  when  rightly  un- 
derstood, is  but  the  crystallization  of  what  exists 
in  solution  in  all  right  religious  feeling ;  and 
prophecy  as  pointing  forward  to  Christ  is  but 
the  just  disclosure  of  the  eternal  heart  of 
humanity  made  vocal  in  the  presence  of  God. 

The  use  of  the  prescribed  benediction  was  the 
official  putting  of  the  name  of  Jehovah  on  the 
children  of  Israel  which,  when  done  according 
to  its  true  intent,  had  the  promise  of  his  bless- 
ing (ver.  27). 


Chap.  7.  The  offerings  of  the  twelve 

PRINCES  OF  THE  TRIBES  AT  THE  CONSECRA- 
TION  OF  THE  TENT  OF  MEETING  AND   OF  THE 

ALTAR.  1-11.  This  section  relates  to  that  part 
of  the  offering  of  the  princes  which  was  appar- 
ently presented  together,  or  at  least  received  col- 
lectively and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  three 
families  that  carried  the  tabernacle.  1.  On 
the  day,  i.  e.,  at  the  time,  the  word  "day" 
being  used  in  its  less  strict  meaning,  as  in  Gen. 
2  :  4.  The  actions  of  the  princes  in  this  chapter 
seem  to  presuppose  what  has  been  related  in  the 
first  four  chapters  of  this  book— their  appoint- 


Ch.  VIL] 


NUMBERS 


83 


3  And  they  brought  their  offering  before  the 
Lord,  six  covered  wagons,  and  twelve  oxen  ;  a 
wagon  for  two  of  the  princes,  and  for  each  one  an 
ox  :  and  they  brought  ttiem  before  the  tabernacle. 

4  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

5  Take  it  of  them,  that  they  may  be  to  do  the 
service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  ;  and 
thou  Shalt  give  them  unto  the  Levites,  to  every  man 
according  to  his  service. 

6  And  Moses  took  the  wagons  and  the  oxen,  and 
gave  them  unto  the  Levites. 

7  Two  wagons  and  four  oxen  he  gave  unto  the 
sons  of  Gershon,  according  to  their  service : 

8  And  four  wagons  and  eight  oxen  he  gave  unto 
the  sons  of  Merari,  according  unto  their  service, 
under  the  hand  of  Ithamar  the  son  of  Aaron  the 
priest. 

9  But  unto  the  sons  of  Kohath  he  gave  none: 
because  the  service  of  the  sanctuary  belonging 
unto  them  was  that  they  should  bear  upon  their 
shoulders. 

10  And  the  princes  offered  for  dedicating  of  the 
altar  in  the  day  that  it  was  anointed,  even  the 
princes  offered  their  offering  before  the  altar. 

11  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  They  shall  offer 
their  offering,  each  prince  on  his  day,  for  the 
dedicating  of  the  altar. 

12  And  he  that  offered  his  offering  the  first  day 
was  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab,  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah : 

13  And  his  offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the 
weight  thereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels, 
one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel 
of  the  sanctuary ;  both  of  them  were  full  of  fine 
flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  meat  offering : 

14  One  spoon  of  ten  shekels  of  gold,  full  of  in- 
cense : 

15  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  oft'ering  : 

16  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

17  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen, 
five  rams,  five  he  goats,  live  lambs  of  the  first  year : 
this  was  the  offering  of  Nahshon  the  son  of  Am- 
minadab. 

18  On  the  second  day  Nethaneel  the  son  of  Zuar, 
prince  of  Issachar,  did  offer : 


are  they  that  were  over  them  that  were  num- 

3  bered :  and  they  brought  their  oblation  before 
the  Lord,  six  covered  wagons,  and  twelve  oxen  ; 
a  wagon  for  every  two  of  the  princes,  and  for 
each  one  an  ox  :  and  they  presented  them  be- 

4  fore  the  tabernacle.    And  the  Lord  spake  unto 

5  Moses,  saying.  Take  it  of  them,  that  they  may 
be  to  do  the  service  of  the  tent  of  meeting  ;  and 
thou  shalt  give  them  unto  the  Levites,  to  every 

6  man  according  to  his  service.  And  Moses  took 
the  wagons  and  the  oxen,  and  gave  them  unto 

7  the  Levites.  Two  wagons  and  four  oxen  he 
gave  unto  the  sons  of  Gershon,  according  to 

8  their  service  :  and  four  wagons  and  eight  oxen 
he  gave  unto  the  sons  of  Merari,  according  unto 
their  service,  under  the  hand  of  Ithamar  the  son 

9  of  Aaron  the  priest.  But  unto  the  sons  of  Ko- 
hath he  gave  none :  because  the  service  of  the 
sanctuary  belonged  unto  them  ;   they  bare  it 

10  upon  their  shoulders.  And  the  princes  offered 
for  the  dedication  of  the  altar  in  the  day  that  it 
was  anointed,  even  the  princes  offered  their  ob- 

11  lation  before  the  altar.  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  They  shall  offer  their  oblation,  each 
prince  on  his  day,  for  the  dedication  of  the 
altar. 

12  And  he  that  offered  his  oblation  the  first  day 
was  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab,  of  the 

13  tribe  of  Judah  :  and  his  oblation  was  one  silver 
charger,  the  weight  thereof  was  an  hundred  and 
thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shek- 
els, after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary ;  both  of 
them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a 

14  meal  offering ;  one  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels, 

15  full  of  incense ;  one  young  bullock,  one  ram, 
one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year,  for  a  burnt  offer- 

16  ing ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering ; 

17  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen, 
five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he-lambs  of  the  first 
year :  this  was  the  oblation  of  Nahshon  the  son 
of  Amminadab. 

18  On  the  second  day  Nethanel  the  son  of  Zuar, 


ment  as  superintendents  of  the  census  (ver.  2 ;  cf 
1:5),  the  necessities  attending  the  work  of 
transporting  the  tabernacle  (ver.  3,  6;  cf.  4  :  24-26^ 
31-33) — and  yet  their  gifts  purport  to  have  been 
presented  at  the  time  of  the  dedication  of  the 
tabernacle,  one  month  before  the  census  was 
ordered,  or  the  duties  of  the  Levites  assigned 

(see  Exod.  40  :  17  ;   Lev.  8  :  10, 11  ;   cf.  Num.  1:1).    We  Can 

only  note  this  incongruity  without,  explaining 
its  origin. 

Each  two  of  the  princes  jointly  gave  a  wagon, 
making  six  wagons  in  all ;  and  each  prince 
gave  an  ox,  making  six  yoke  of  oxen  or  teams 
to  draw  them.  Because  the  word  translated 
covered,  in  ver.  3,  is  used  in  Isa.  66  :  20  and 
rendered  litters,  it  has  been  supposed  by  some 
that  the  vehicles  were  wheelless  litters  borne 
each  by  two  oxen  before  and  behind,  but  the 
more  probable  inference  from  the  derivation  of 
the  word  is  that  they  were  covered  carts.  Two 
of  these  vehicles  with  their  complement  of  oxen 
were  assigned  to  the  family  of  Gershon  for  trans- 
porting the  cloth  work  of  the  tabernacle,  while 
double  the  number  were  given  to  the  Merarites 


for  transporting  the  heavy  pillars  and  boards 
constituting  its  solid  framework.  The  sacred 
articles  of  furniture  which  the  Kohathites  car- 
ried were  furnished  with  rings  and  poles  and 
were  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  men. 

The  more  solemn  and  specific  gift  of  each 
prince  for  the  dedication  of  the  altar  (ver.  ii)  was 
arranged  to  be  offered  each  on  its  day  during 
twelve  days.  The  great  number  of  oxen  and 
sheep  and  goats  constituting  the  total  of  their 
offerings  could  hardly  have  been  disposed  of  in 
the  limited  area  of  the  tabernacle  court  and  on 
the  one  altar,  if  the  attempt  had  been  made  to 
receive  and  sacrifice  the  burnt  offerings  and 
the  "  memorial "  of  the  peace  offerings  all  in 
one  day. 

12-83.  The  offerings  of  the  preceding  section 
were  such  as  supplied  a  perceivable  need  in 
connection  with  the  transportation  of  the  sanc- 
tuary. These  individual  offerings,  on  the  other 
hand,  seem  to  be  a  purely  gratuitous  expression 
of  loyalty  and  praise  rather  than  the  subserving 
of  an  obvious  utility.  They  seem  to  be  a  shin- 
ing instance  of  unsolicited  liberality,  not  unac- 


34 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  Vll. 


19  He  offered  for  his  olferiiig  one  silver  charger, 
the  weight  wheiLof  wa.i  an  liuudred  aud  thirty 
shekels,  one  silver  buvvl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the 
shekel  of  the  sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine 
flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

20  One  spoon  of  gold  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  in- 
cense \ 

21  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering : 

22  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

23  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year :  this  was  the  offering  of  Nethaueel  the  son  of 
Zuar. 

24  On  the  third  day  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon,  prince 
of  the  children  of  Zebuiun,  did  offer  : 

25  His  offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one 
silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of 
the  sanctuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  tine  flour 
mingled  witli  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

2o  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 

27  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  vear,  for  a  burnt  offering : 

28  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering : 

29  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year :  this  was  tlie  offering  of  Eliab  the  son  of 
Helon. 

30  On  the  fourth  day  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur, 
prince  of  the  children  of  Reuben,  did  offer: 

31  His  offering  wds  one  silver  charger  of  the 
weight  of  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

32  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 

33  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering  : 

34  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering : 

35  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year:  this  was  the  offering  of  Elizur  the  son  of 
Shedeur. 

36  On  the  fifth  day  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zuri- 
shaddai,  prince  of  the  children  of  Simeon,  did  offer  : 

37  His  offering  ivas  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one 
silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of 
the  sanctuary  ;  botli  of  them  full  of  fine  flour 
mingled  with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

38  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense : 

39  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering : 

40  One  kid  of  the  goats  fur  a  sin  offering  : 

41  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year :  this  was  the  offering  of  Shelumiel  the  son  of 
Zurishaddai. 

42  On  the  sixth  day  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel, 
prince  of  the  children  of  Gad,  offered  : 

43  His  offering  ivas  one  silver  charger  of  the 
weight  of  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  a  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 


19  prince  of  Issachar,  did  offer :  he  offered  for  his 
oblation  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof 
was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  botliof  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 

20  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering  ;  one  golden  spoon 

21  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense ;  one  young  bul- 
lock, one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year,  for 

22  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

23  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings, 
two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he-lambs 
of  the  first  year:  this  was  the  oblation  of  Ne- 
thanel  the  son  of  Zuar. 

24  On  the  third  day  Eliab  the  son  of   Helon, 

25  prince  of  the  children  of  Zebuiun  :  his  oblation 
was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof  was 
an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of 
seventy  sliekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 
tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 

26  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering  ;  one  golden  spoon 

27  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense ;  one  young  bul- 
lock, one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year,  for 

28  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

29  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings, 
two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he-lambs 
of  the  first  year  :  this  was  the  oblation  of  Eliab 
the  son  of  Helon. 

30  On  the  fourth  day  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur, 

31  prince  of  the  children  of  Reuben :  his  oblation 
was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof  was 
an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of 
seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 
tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 

32  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering  ;  one  golden  spoon 

33  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense ;  one  young  bul- 
lock, one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year,  for 

34  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

35  offering ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings, 
two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he-lambs 
of  the  first  year:  this  was  the  oblation  of  Elizur 
the  son  of  shedeur. 

36  On  the  fiftli  day  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishad- 

37  dai,  prince  of  the  children  of  Simeon  :  his  obla- 
tion was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof 
was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  min- 

38  gled  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering ;  one  golden 

39  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  ;  one  young 
bullock,  one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year, 

40  for  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a 

41  sin  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ings, two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he- 
lambs  of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  oblation  of 
Shelumiel  tlie  son  of  Zurishaddai. 

42  On  the  sixth  day  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel, 

43  prince  of  the  children  of  Gad  :  his  oblation  was 
one  silver  charger,  tne  weight  thereof  was  an 
hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl  of 


companied  with  the  religious  feeling  which 
realized  the  need  of  a  sin  offering  and  sought 
expression  in  the  burnt  and  peace  offerings. 
"Such  forthputtings  of  grateful  loyalty,  like  the 
offering  of  Mary  in  the  Gospels  (Mark  i4  : 3-9),  are 
among  the  choicest  fruits  of  religion.  Evidently 
there  was  some  systematic  understanding  be- 
tween the  princes,  or  the  tribes  which  they  rep- 
resented, so  that  all  brought  precisely  similar 
gifts.  The  story  of  the  offering  is  repeated 
twelve  times  in  detail,  in  identical  words — an 
unnecessary  and  yet  stately  repetition  which  no 


doubt  was  a  grateful  rhetorical  help  to  the  He- 
brew's imagination  in  parading  the  princely 
gifts  before  his  thought  for  the  exercise  of  his 
admiration,  just  as  the  printing,  in  Hebrew,  of 
the  names  of  Haman's  sons  in  rows  ( Esther  9 : 7-10) , 
as  if  hanged,  in  a  similar  w'ay  furnished  a  sort 
of  graphical  satisfaction  to  his  hatred. 

Each  prince  offered  a  silver  charger  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  shekels'  weight,  worth 
about  eighty-four  dollars,  and  a  silver  bowl  or 
sprinkling  dish  of  seventy  shekels'  weight, 
worth  something  over  forty-five  dollars,  each  of 


Ch.  VII.  ] 


NUMBERS 


35 


sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

44  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 

45  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering : 

46  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering : 

47  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen, 
five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  tlie  first  year  : 
this  ivas  the  offering  of  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel. 

48  On  the  seventh  day  Elishama  the  son  of  Am- 
mihud,  prince  of  the  children  of  Ephraim,  offered: 

49  His  offering  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  ivas  an  Hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one 
silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of 
the  sanctuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  tine  flour 
mingled  with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

50  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 

51  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering  : 

52  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

53  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two  oxen, 
five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first  year : 
this  was  the  offering  of  Elishama  the  son  of  Am- 
mihud. 

54  On  the  eighth  day  offered  Gamaliel  the  son  of 
Pedahzur,  prince  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  : 

55  His  offering  ivas  one  silver  charger  of  the 
weight  of  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering : 

56  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense : 

57  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,"  for  a  burnt  offering : 

58  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

59  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year;  this  i«as  the  offering  of  Gamaliel  the  son  of 
Pedahzur. 

60  On  the  ninth  day  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni, 
prince  of  the  children  of  Benjamin,  offered: 

61  His  offering  ^uas  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  ivas  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  sil- 
ver bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

62  One  g<^lden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 

63  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering  : 

64  One  kid  of  tlie  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

65  And  for  a  sacritice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the 
first  year :  this  was  the  offering  of  Abidan  the  son 
of  Gideoni. 

66  On  the  tenth  day  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammi- 
shaddai,  prince  of  the  children  of  Dan,  offered  : 

67  His  offering  was  one  silver  charger,  tlie  weight 
whereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  sil- 
ver bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering: 

68  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  Incense : 

69  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering: 

70  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

71  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year :  this  ivas  the  offering  of  Ahiezer,  the  sou  of 
Ammishaddai. 

72  On  the  eleventh  day  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocran, 
prince  of  the  children  of  Asher.  offered  : 

73  His  offering  ivas  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  luas  an  hundred  and  thirtv  shekels,  one  sil- 
ver bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

74  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 


seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 
tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 

44  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering ;  one  golden  spoon 

45  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense ;  one  young  bullock, 
one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year,  for  a 

46  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 

47  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings, 
two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he-lambs 
of  the  first  year:  this  was  tlie  oblation  of  Elia- 
saph the  sou  of  Deuel. 

48  On  the  seventh  day  Elishama  the  son  of  Am- 

49  miliud,  prince  of  the  children  of  Ephraim  :  liis 
oblation  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
tliereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one 
silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  sliekel 
of  the  sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  tine  flour 

50  mingled  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering  ;  one  golden 

51  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  ;  one  young 
bullock,  one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  tirst  year, 

52  for  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  "for  a 

53  sin  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ings, two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goals,  five  he- 
lambs  of  the  first  year:  this  was  the  oblation  of 
Elishama  the  son  of  Ammihud. 

54  On  the   eighth  day  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pe- 

55  dahzur,  prince  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  :  his 
oblation  was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
thereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one 
silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel 
of  the  sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  tine  fiour 

56  mingled  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering  ;  one  golden 

57  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  ;  one  young 
bullock,  one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year, 

58  for  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a 

59  sin  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ings, two  oxen,  five  rams,  tive  he-goats,  five  he- 
lambs  of  the  first  year:  this  was  the  oblation  of 
Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur. 

60  On  the  ninth  day  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni, 

61  prince  of  the  children  of  Benjamin  :  his  obla- 
tion was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof 
was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  min- 

62  gled  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering ;  one  golden 

63  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  ;  one  young 
bullock,  one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year, 

64  for  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a 

65  sin  offering ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ings, two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he- 
lambs  of  the  first  year  :  this  was  the  oblation  of 
Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni. 

66  On  the  tenth  day  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammi- 

67  shaddai,  prince  of  the  children  of  Dan  :  his  ob- 
lation was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof 
was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver 
bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  fiour  min- 

68  gled  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering ;  one  golden 

69  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense ;  one  young 
bullock,  one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year, 

70  for  a  burnt  offering  :  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a 

71  sin  offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offer- 
ings, two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he- 
lambs  of  the  first  year  :  tliis  was  the  oblation  of 
Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai. 

72  On  the  eleventh  day  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ochran, 

73  prince  of  the  children  of  Asher :  his  oblation 
was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof  was 
an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl 
of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 
tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  fiour  mingled 

74  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering ;  one  golden  spoon 


these  being  filled  with  fine  flour  saturated  with 
oil  for  a  minchah;  and  a  gold  spoon  {\\i.,palm) 
weighing  ten  shekels,  worth  nearly  ninety-seven 
dollars,  filled  with  incense.    Besides  these  were 


the  animals  for  the  burnt,  sin,  and  peace  oflfer- 
ings  as  enumerated  in  the  text.  The  princes 
appear  to  have  made  their  offerings  in  the  order 
assigned  to  the  tribes  in  the  census  (chap.  2). 


^Q 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  VII. 


75  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering  : 
7G  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  : 

77  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  otterings,  two 
oxen  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  tlie  first 
year:  this  was  the  offering  of  Pagiel  the  son  of 
Ocran.  ,  ,  ^ 

78  On  the  twelfth  day  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan, 
prince  of  the  children  of  Naphtali,  offered  : 

79  His  offering  tvas  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  sil- 
ver bowl  of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 
sanctuary  ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  : 

80  One  golden  spoon  of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  : 

81  One  young  bullock,  one  ram,  one  lamb  of  the 
first  year,  for  a  burnt  offering  : 

82  One  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering : 

83  And  for  a  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings,  two 
oxen,  five  rams,  five  he  goats,  five  lambs  of  the  first 
year:  this  was  the  off'eriug  of  Ahira  the  son  of 
Enan. 

84  This  was  the  dedication  of  the  altar,  in  the 
day  when  it  was  anointed,  by  the  princes  of  Israel : 
twelve  chargers  of  silver,  twelve  silver  bowls, 
twelve  spoons  of  gold : 

85  Each  charger  of  silver  weighing  an  hundred 
and  thirty  shekels,  each  bowl  seventy  :  all  the  silver 
vessels  weighed  two  thousand  and  four  hundred 
shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanctuary  : 

HG  The  golden  spoons  were  twelve,  full  of  in- 
cense, weighing  ten  shekels  apiece,  after  the  shekel 
of  the  sanctuary  :  all  the  gola  of  the  spoons  was  an 
hundred  and  twenty  shekels. 

87  All  the  oxen  for  the  burnt  offering  uwf  twelve 
bullocks,  the  rams  twelve,  the  lambs  of  the  first 
year  twelve,  with  their  meat  offering  :  and  the  kids 
of  the  goats  for  sin  ottering  twelve. 

88  And  all  the  oxen  for  the  sacrifice  of  the  peace 
offerings  were  twenty  and  four  bullocks,  the  rams 
sixty,  the  he  goats  sixty,  the  lambs  of  the  first  year 
sixty.  This  was  the  dedication  of  the  altar,  after 
that  it  was  anointed. 

89  And  when  Moses  was  gone  into  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation  to  speak  with  him,  then 
he  heard  the  voice  of  one  speaking  unto  him  from 
off  the  mercy  seat  that  was  upon  the  ark  of  testi- 
mony, from  between  the  two  cherubims:  and  he 
spake  unto  him. 


84-88.  These  verses  give  the  totals  of  the 
offerings  at  the  dedication  of  the  altar.  The  ap- 
proximate value  of  the  silver,  two  thousand  four 
hundred  shekels,  was  one  thousand  five  hundred 
and  fifty-two  dollars,  while  that  of  the  gold,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  shekels,  was  one  thousand 
one  hundred  and  sixty-three  dollars  and  fifty- 
two  cents.  The  presenting  of  the  gifts  and  the 
sacrificing  of  the  victims  in  the  various  species 
of  offerings  constituted  the  dedication  (lit.  the 
imbuing)  of  the  altar,  as  distinguished  from  its 
anointing  or  formal  setting  apart  (ver.  88). 

89.  This  verse  has  almost  the  appearance  of 
having  dropped  out  of  its  connection,  as  is  seen 
in  its  al)rupt  change  of  topic,  and  the  use  of  the 
pronoun  him  (referring  to  Jehovah)  without 
an  antecedent.  Dillmann  thinks  it  comes  more 
naturally  after  Exod.  25  :  22.  Speaking.  The 
word  thus  rendered  has  in  Hebrew  the  reflexive 
form,  "making  itself  audible,"  the  form  of  the 
word  thus  illustrating  the  apparent  imperson- 
ality of  a  voice  speaking  without  visible  organs. 


84 


85 


89 


of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense;  one  young  bul- 
lock, one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year, 
for  a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a 
sin  offering ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  of- 
ferings, two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five 
he-laiubs  of  the  first  year :  this  was  the  oblation 
Pagiel  the  son  of  Ochran. 

On  the  twelfth  day  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan, 
prince  of  the  children  of  Naphtali :  his  oblation 
was  one  silver  charger,  the  weight  thereof  was 
an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  one  silver  bowl 
of  seventy  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the  sanc- 
tuary ;  both  of  them  full  of  fine  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meal  offering ;  one  golden  spoon 
of  ten  shekels,  full  of  incense  ;  one  young  bul- 
lock, one  ram,  one  he-lamb  of  the  first  year,  for 
a  burnt  offering  ;  one  male  of  the  goats  for  a  sin 
offering  ;  and  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings, 
two  oxen,  five  rams,  five  he-goats,  five  he-lambs 
of  the  first  year  :  this  was  the  oblation  of  Ahira 
the  son  of  Enan. 

This  was  the  dedication  of  the  altar,  in  the 
day  when  it  was  anointed,  by  the  princes  of  Is- 
rael :  twelve  silver  chargers,  twelve  silver  bowls, 
twelve  golden  spoons  :  each  silver  charger  we/gr/i- 
i7ig  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels,  and  each  bowl 
seventy  :  all  the  silver  of  the  vessels  two  thou- 
sand and  four  hundred  shekels,  after  the  shekel 
of  the  sanctuary  ;  the  twelve  golden  spoons,  full 
of  incense,  weighing  ten  shekds  apiece,  after  the 
shekel  of  the  sanctuary:  all  the  gold  of  the 
spoons  an  hundred  and  tviQuty  shekels  :  all  the 
oxen  for  the  burnt  offering  twelve  bullocks,  the 
rams  twelve,  the  he-lambs  of  the  first  year 
twelve,  and  their  meal  oft'ering  :  and  the  males 
of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering  twelve :  and  all 
the  oxtn  for  the  sacrifice  of  peace  offerings 
twenty  and  four  bullocks,  the  rams  sixty,  the 
he-goats  sixty,  the  he-lambs  of  the  first  year 
sixty.  This  was  the  dedication  of  the  altar, 
after  that  it  was  anointed.  And  when  Moses 
went  into  the  tent  of  meeting  to  speak  with  him, 
then  he  heard  the  Voice  speaking  unto  him  from 
above  the  mercy-seat  that  was  upon  the  ark  of 
the  testimony,  from  between  the  two  cherubim  : 
and  he  spake  unto  him. 


The  verse  as  a  whole  seems  to  imply  that  from 
this  time  forward  communication  was  estab- 
lished between  Jehovah  and  Moses  from  the 
mercy  seat  between  the  cherubim  in  the  tent  of 
meeting,  as  promised  in  Exod.  25  :  22.  This 
fact  of  Moses'  habitual  converse  with  God  in  the 
tent  of  meeting  seems  to  have  made  a  very  deep 
impression  on  the  Hebrew  imagination.  He 
was  regarded  as  the  unique  example  of  a 
prophet  whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to  face  (oeut. 
34  :  10) ;  in  tliis  metliod  of  communication  he  is 
pronounced  by  Jehovah  sui  generis  (Num.  12 : 7, 8) ; 
those  ineffably  elevated  and  intimate  transac- 
tions in  the  tent  of  appointment  were  guarded 
by  the  pillar  of  cloud  standing  as  a  sentinel  at 
the  door,  while  all  the  people  at  the  entrance  of 
their  tents  rose  and  worshiped  as  they  saw  the 
cloudy  guardian  which  indicated  that  Moses 
was  holding  audience  with  Jehovah  (Exod.  33 : 
7-n ) .  The  luminous  appearance  of  his  face  as  a 
consequence  of  his  direct  converse  with  God 
(Exod.  34  :  30),  and  his  habit  of  veiling  himself 


Ch.  VIII.] 


NUMBERS 


37 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  say  unto  him,  When 
thou  lightest  the  lamps,  the  seven  lamps  shall  give 
light  over  against  the  candlestick. 

3  And  Aaron  did  so  ;  he  lighted  the  lamps  thereof 
over  against  the  candlestick,  as  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses. 

4  And  this  work  of  the  candlestick  was  o/ beaten 
gold,  unto  the  shaft  thereof,  unto  the  flowers  tliere- 
of,  xuas  beaten  work :  according  unto  the  pattern 
which  the  Lord  had  shewed  Moses,  so  he  made  tlie 
candlestick. 

5  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

6  Take  the  Levites  from  among  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  cleanse  them. 

7  And  thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  them,  to  cleanse 
them:  Sprinkle  water  of  purifying  upon  them,  and 
let  them  shave  all  their  flesh,  and  let  them  wash 
Iheir  clothes,  and  so  make  themselves  clean. 

8  Then  let  them  take  a  young  bullock  with  his 
meat  offering,  even  line  flour  mingled  with  oil,  and 
another  young  bullock  shalt  thou  take  for  a  sin 
offering. 

9  And  thou  shalt  bring  the  Levites  before  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation :  and  thou  shalt 
gather  the  whole  assembly  of  the  children  of  Israel 
together : 

10  And  thou  shalt  bring  the  Levites  before  the 
Lord  :  and  the  children  of  Israel  shall  put  their 
hands  upon  the  Levites : 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  Aaron,  and  say  unto  him.  When  thou 
lightest  the  lamps,  the  seven  lamps  shall  give 

3  light  in  front  of  the  candlestick.  And  Aaron 
did  so  ;  he  lighted  the  lamps  thereof  so  as  to  give 
light  in  front  of  the  candlestick,  as  the  Lord 

4  commanded  Moses.  And  this  was  the  work  of 
the  candlestick,  beaten  work  of  gold  ;  unto  tlie 
base  thereof,  and  unto  the  flowers  thereof,  it  was 
beaten  work  :  according  unto  the  pattern  which 
the  Lord  had  shewed  Moses,  so  he  made  the 
candlestick. 

5  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,  saying, 

6  Take  the  Levites  from  among  tlie  children  of 

7  Israel,  and  cleanse  them.  And  thus  shalt  thou 
do  unto  them,  to  cleanse  them :  sprinkle  the 
water  of  expiation  upon  them,  and  let  them 
cause  a  razor  to  pass  over  all  their  flesh,  and  let 
them  wash  their  ehjthes,  and  cleanse  themselves. 

8  Then  let  them  take  a  j^oung  bullock,  and  its  meal 
offering,  flne  flour  mingled  with  oil,  and  another 
young  bullock  shalt  thou  take  for  a  sin  offering. 

9  And  thou  shalt  present  the  Levites  before  the 
tent  of  meeting:  and  thou  shalt  assemble  the 
whole  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel : 

10  and  thou  shalt  present  the  Levites  before  the 
Lord  :  and  the  children  of  Israel  shall  lay  their 


before  the  people  (iwd.,  34, 35),  are  made  one  of 
the  great  outstanding  facts  of  ancient  revelation 
on  which  Paul  bases  a  comparison  and  contrast 
w^ith  the  final  revelation  of  the  New  Testament 

(2  Cor.  3  :  13-18). 


Chap.  8.  An  item  of  directions  regard- 
ing THE  golden  candlestick.  THE  CONSE- 
CRATION OF  THE  Levites,  and  their  pe- 
riod OF  service.  1-4.  Instructions  for  fixing 
the  lamps  upon  the  golden  candlestick.  When 
thou  lightest,  rather,  settest  up,  as  in  R.  V. 
Marg.  This  verse  is  substantially  a  repetition 
of  Exod.  25  :  37,  last  clause.  The  purport  of  the 
direction  appears  to  be  that,  as  the  candlestick 
stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  sanctuary  with  its 
branches  extending  lengthwise  of  the  apart- 
ment, the  lamps,  which  were  movable,  should 
be  so  placed  on  the  branches  that  the  exten- 
sion or  neck  containing  the  wick  should  project 
out  into  the  room,  so  as  to  throw  the  light  toward 
the  north  side,  i.  e.,  over  against  the  candle- 
stick. The  candlestick  is  described  in  Exod. 
25  :  31-40,  and  that  part  of  the  description 
which  dwells  upon  its  workmanship  (ibid.,  31, 36) 
is  here  repeated.  The  whole  was  made  accord- 
ing to  the  vision  (ver.  4)^  which  Jehovah  had 
shown  to  Moses.  The  directions  for  caring  for 
the  lamps  and  for  providing  the  supply  of  oil 
are  distributed  in  various  places  in  the  Penta- 
teuch (Exod.  27  :  20  ;   30  :  7  ;   Lev.  24  :  1-4),  bcsidcS  this 

place. 

5-22.  The  consecration  of  the  Levites  to  their 
duties.     This  passage  connects  with  3  ;  5-13, 


and  describes  the  actual  ceremony  of  pre- 
senting the  Levites  to  the  Lord  for  the  use  of 
the  priests.  This  ceremony  is  not  called  a 
sanctifying  or  filling  of  the  hand,  as  was  the 
corresponding  ceremony  at  the  consecration  of 
the  priests  (Lev.  8  :  12, 33) J  but  a  cleansing  (ver.  6). 
The  first  act  of  cleansing  was  to  sprinkle  them 
with  "  sin  water,"  and  have  them  shave  their 
bodies  and  wash  their  clothes.  The  "  sin  water  " 
in  question  can  hardly  have  been  such  a  water 
of  purifying  as  was  prepared  for  the  leper  when 
he  was  cleansed  (Lev.  i4  : 4-7),  nor  the  water  of 
separation  that  was  prepared  from  the  ashes  of 
the  red  heifer  for  the  cleansing  of  those  who 
were  defiled  by  the  dead  (Num.  19),  for  these  seem 
to  have  been  prescribed  for  the  special  cases 
mentioned ;  but  perhaps  the  water  from  the 
laver  which  is  apparently  called  "  holy  water  " 
in  5  :  17.  The  ceremony  of  inauguration  for 
these  subordinate  priests  did  not  include  the  act 
of  investiture,  as  they  had  no  distinctive  dress 
as  a  badge  of  office.  Their  clothing  was  there- 
fore made  ready  for  their  new  position  by 
washing  (ver.  7), 

As  the  Levites  were  the  gift  of  the  whole  na- 
tion to  the  priests,  representative  of  their  first- 
born which  were  claimed  by  Jehovah,  the  whole 
congregation  was  assembled  to  participate  in  the 
ceremony  of  consecration.  The  congregation, 
doubtless  through  their  representatives  the 
heads  of  the  tribes,  were  to  lay  their  hands  on 
the  heads  of  the  Levites  (ver.  10),  and  then  these 
temple  servants  were  solemnly  offered  as  a  wave 
offering  (ver.  11),  the  ceremony  being  performed 


38 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  VIII. 


11  And  Aaron  shall  offer  the  Levites  before  the 
Jjovd  for  an  offering  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that 
they  may  execute  the  service  of  the  Lord. 

12  And  the  Levites  shall  lay  their  hands  upon 
the  heads  of  the  buiioclis  :  and  thou  shalt  offer  the 
one  for  a  sin  offering,  and  the  other  for  a  burnt 
offering,  unto  the  Lord,  to  make  an  atonement  for 
the  Levites.  .        ,    , 

13  And  thou  shalt  set  the  Levites  before  Aaron, 
and  before  his  sons,  and  offer  them /or  an  offering 
unto  the  Lord. 

14  Thus  shalt  thou  separate  the  Levites  from 
among  the  children  of  Israel :  and  the  Levites  shall 
be  mine. 

15  And  after  that  shall  the  Levites  go  in  to  do  the 
service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  :  and 
tliou  shalt  cleanse  them,  and  offer  them  for  an 
offering. 

16  For  they  are  wholly  given  unto  me  from  among 
the  children  of  Israel;  instead  of  such  as  open 
every  womb,  even  instead  of  tlie  firstborn  of  all  the 
children  of  Israel,  have  I  taken  them  unto  me. 

17  For  all  the  firstborn  of  the  children  of  Israel 
are  mine,  both  man  and  beast :  on  the  day  that  I 
smote  every  firstborn  in  the  land  of  Egypt  I  sanc- 
tified them  for  myself. 

18  And  I  have  taken  the  Levites  for  all  the  first- 
horn  of  the  cliildren  of  Israel. 

19  And  I  have  given  the  Levites  as  a  gift  to  Aaron 
and  to  his  sons  from  among  the  children  of  Israel, 
to  do  the  service  of  the  cliildren  of  Israel  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  to  make  an 
atonement  for  the  children  of  Israel :  that  there  be 
no  plague  among  the  children  of  Israel,  when  the 
children  of  Israel  come  nigh  unto  the  sanctuary. 

20  And  Moses,  and  Aaron,  and  all  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  children  of  Israel,  did  to  the  Levites 
according  unto  all  that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses 
concerning  the  Levites,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel 
unto  them. 

21  And  the  Levites  were  purified,  and  they  washed 
their  clothes  ;  and  Aaron  offered  them  as  an  offer- 
ing before  the  Lord  ;  and  Aaron  made  an  atonement 
for  them  to  cleanse  them. 

22  And  after  that  went  the  Levites  in  to  do  their 
service  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before 
Aaron,  and  before  his  sons :  as  the  Lord  had  com- 
manded Moses  concerning  the  Levites,  so  did  they 
unto  them. 


11  hands  upon  the  Levites  :  and  Aaron  shall  offer 
the  Levites  before  the  Lord  for  a  wave  offering, 
on  the  behalf  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they 

12  may  be  to  do  the  service  of  the  Lord.  And  the 
Levites  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the  heads  of 
the  bullocks :  and  offer  thou  the  one  for  a  sin 
offering,  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  unto 
the  Lord,  to  make  atonement  for  the  Levites. 

13  And  thou  shalt  set  the  Levites  before  Aaron,  and 
before  his  sons,  and  offer  them  for  a  wave  oft'er- 

14  ing  unto  the  Lord.  Thus  shalt  thou  separate  the 
Levites  from  among  the  children  of  Israel :  and 

15  the  Levites  shall  be  mine.  And  after  that  shall 
the  Levites  go  in  to  do  the  service  of  the  tent  of 
meeting  :  and  thou  shalt  cleanse  them,  and  offer 

16  them  for  a  wave  offering.  For  they  are  wholly 
given  unto  me  from  among  the  children  of  Is- 
rael ;  instead  of  all  that  openeth  the  womb,  even 
the  firstborn  of  all  the  children  of  Israel,  have 

17  I  taken  them  unto  me.  For  all  the  firstborn 
among  the  children  of  Israel  are  mine,  both  man 
and  beast :  on  the  day  that  I  smote  all  the  first- 
born in  the  land  of  Egypt  I  sanctified  them  for 

18  myself.  And  I  have  taken  the  Levites  instead 
of  all  the  firstborn  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

19  And  I  have  given  the  Levites  as  a  gift  to  Aaron 
and  to  his  sons  from  among  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, to  do  the  service  of  the  children  of  Israel 
in  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  to  make  atonement 
for  the  children  of  Israel :  that  there  be  no 
plague  among  the  children  of  Israel,  when  the 
children  of  Israel  come  nigh  unto  the  sanctuary. 

20  Thus  did  Moses,  and  Aaron,  and  all  the  congre- 
gation of  the  children  of  Israel,  unto  the  Le- 
vites: according  unto  all  that  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses  touching  the  Levites,  so  did  the 

21  children  of  Israel  unto  them.  And  the  Levites 
purified  themselves  from  sin,  and  they  washed 
their  clothes  ;  and  Aaron  offered  them  for  a  wave 
offering  before  the  Lord  ;  and  Aaron  made  atone- 

22  ment  for  them  to  cleanse  them.  And  after  that 
went  the  Levites  in  to  do  their  service  in  the 
tent  of  meeting  before  Aaron,  and  before  his 
sons :  as  the  Lord  had  commanded  Moses  con- 
cerning the  Levites,  so  did  they  unto  them. 


by  Aaron  on  behalf  of  the  children  of  Israel. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  the  rite  of  waving 
is  that  which  characterizes  the  making  of  such 
offerings  as  are  presented  to  Jehovah  to  revert 
to  the  use  of  the  priests  or  the  sanctuary.  On 
the  wave  offering,  see  comment  on  Lev.  7  :  28- 
34.  Just  how  the  act  of  waving  a  large  com- 
pany of  people  was  performed  cannot  be  stated 
with  certainty.  Perhaps  they  were  solemnly 
conducted  up  to  the  altar  and  back ;  or  the  act 
may  have  been  emblematically  performed  by 
Aaron's  pointing  to  them  and  waving  his  hands 
as  if  they  were  filled  with  a  gift  for  Jehovah. 
The  Levites  in  their  turn,  having  provided 
themselves  with  a  couple  of  bullocks  with  their 
accompanying  minchah,  offered  the  one  for  a  sin 
offering  and  the  other  for  a  burnt  offering,  thus 
entering  on  their  ofiice  in  a  state  of  ceremonial 
freedom  from  all  possible  inadvertent  guilt. 

This  act  of  consecration  is  summed  up  as  con- 
sisting essentially  of  cleansing  and  waving  (ver. 
15) ;  the  theory  of  the  waving  being  that  they 


are  wholly  given  (D"'J^nj,  nthunim,  of.  3  :  9) 
to  Aaron  and  to  his  sons ;  while  that  of  their 
being  separated  and  cleansed  in  general  is  that 
they  are  taken  in  lieu  of  the  firstborn  of  Israel 
whom  Jehovah  consecrated  to  himself  when  he 
destroyed  the  firstborn  of  Egypt.  This  service 
of  the  Levites  in  the  sanctuary  is  therefore 
strictly  the  function  of  the  nation's  firstborn ; 
but  as  the  service  of  the  holy  place  is  hazard- 
ous on  account  of  the  self-avenging  sanctity  of 
the  sacred  things,  a  specially  consecrated  tribe 
can  more  safely  perform  it  than  for  the  people 
to  undertake  that  service  promiscuously  (ver.  is). 
In  thus  taking  the  specially  sacred  and  hazardous 
part  of  the  nation's  lay  duty,  the  Levites  are 
considered  as  covering,  or  acting  as  an  atoning 
buffer  for  them — to  make  an  atonement 
(ver.  19) — in  the  presence  of  Jehovah. 

All  this  ceremony  of  cleansing  and  waving  is 
given  in  the  form  of  a  command  to  Moses  ;  and 
then  in  ver.  20-22  it  is  stated  that  all  was  carried 
out  according  to  the  divine  direction. 


Ch.  IX.] 


NUMBERS 


39 


23  And  the  Lord  spake  unt»  Moses,  saying, 

24  This  is  it  that  helongeth  unto  the  Levites  :  from 
twenty  and  five  years  old  and  upward  they  shall  go 
in  to  wait  upon  the  service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation : 

25  And  from  the  age  of  fifty  years  they  shall  cease 
waiting  upon  the  service  thereof,  and  shall  serve  no 
more : 

26  But  shall  minister  with  their  brethren  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  to  keep  the  charge, 
and  shall  do  no  service.  Thus  shalt  thou  do  unto 
the  Levites  touching  their  charge. 


23  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

24  This  is  that  which  belongeth  unto  the  Levites  : 
from  twenty  and  five  years  old  and  upward  they 
shall  go  in  to  wait  upon  the  service  in  the  work 

25  of  the  tent  of  meeting  :  and  from  the  age  of  fifty 
years  they  sliall  cease  waiting  upon  the  work, 

26  and  shall  serve  no  more  ;  but  shall  minister  with 
their  brethren  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  to  keep 
the  charge,  and  shall  do  no  service.  Thus  shall 
thou  do  unto  the  Levites  touching  their  charges. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai,  in  the  first  month  of  the  second  year 
after  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
saying, 

2  Let  the  children  of  Israel  also  keep  the  pass- 
over  at  his  appointed  season. 

3  In  the  fourteenth  day  of  this  month,  at  even, 
ye  shall  keep  it  in  his  appointed  season  :  according 
to  all  the  rites  of  it,  and  according  to  all  the  cere- 
monies thereof,  shall  ye  keep  it. 

4  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  they  should  keep  the  passover. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai,  in  the  first  month  of  the  second 
year  after  they  were  come  out  of  the  land  of 

2  Egypt,  saying.  Moreover  let  the  children  of  Is- 
rael keep  the  passover  in  its  appointed  season. 

3  In  the  fourteenth  day  of  this  month,  at  even,  ye 
shall  keep  it  in  its  appointed  season  :  according 
to  all  the  statutes  of  it,  and  according  to  all  the 

4  ordinances  thereof,  shall  ye  keep  it.  And  Moses 
spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they 


23-26.  The  period  of  the  Levites'  service. 
The  regulation  of  this  section  fixing  the  age  of 
Levitical  service  at  from  twenty-five  to  fifty 
years  appears  to  be  a  correction  or  modification 
of  4  :  47,  where  the  age  of  entering  upon  the 
service  is  fixed  at  thirty  years.  "As  a  cor- 
rection representing  quite  another  period  when 
reason  had  arisen  for  accepting  the  service  of 
younger  men,  this  is  plain  and  simple  enough. 
As  a  regulation  coming  from  the  same  legislator 
who  made  the  regulation  of  chapter  four  in  the 
same  breath,  as  it  were,  it  would  be  unintel- 
ligible indeed"  (Horton).  The  wholly  un- 
usual and  hardly  correct  form  of  expression  in 
the  Hebrew  with  which  the  section  is  intro- 
duced, this  is  it  that  belougeth  unto  the 
Levites  (ver.  24)^  seems  to  indicate  the  work  of  a 
supplemental  hand  ;  and  yet,  in  any  event,  the 
modifier's  inadvertence  in  not  explaining  his 
inconsistent  insertion  is  strange.  The  attempt 
to  explain  the  difference  by  supposing  that  the 
regulation  of  chapter  four  referred  to  the  heavy 
work  of  transporting  the  tabernacle  Avhich 
needed  men  in  their  prime,  while  the  service  here 
provided  for  is  the  ordinary  work  of  caring  for 
it  in  its  settled  abode  is  wholly  arbitrary.  It  is 
to  be  noted  that,  according  to  the  chronicler 

(1  Chron.  23  :  24,  seq.),  OUC  of  the  last  actS  of  David 

was  to  change  the  age  of  entering  on  Levitical 
service,  apparently  from  thirty  years  (cf.  i  chron. 
23 :  3),  to  twenty,  on  the  ground  that  the  heavy 
work  of  carrying  the  tabernacle  no  longer 
needed  to  be  done.  The  lower  limit  seems  to 
have  been  the  recognized  period  of  entering  on 
service  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah  (2  Chron.  31  :  17) 
and  after  the  exile  (Ezra  3  :  s). 
This  section  is  more  specific  than  chapter  four 


in  defining  what  is  involved  in  retiring  the  Le- 
vites at  the  age  of  fifty  years.  They  shall  return 
from  the  warfare  of  the  service  (ver.  25)  ^  i,  e.,  the 
disciplinary  severity  which  makes  it  like  mili- 
tary duty,  but  shall  assist  their  brethren  in  such 
duties  as  keeping  guard  or  caring  for  property, 
involving  no  servile  work. 


Chap.  9.  The  Passover  at  Sinai  ■with 

ITS  SUPPLEMENTAL  ORDINANCE.  THE  SIG- 
NALS GIVEN  BY  THE  CLOUD.  The  direction 
here  given  antedates  the  command  for  the 
numbering  recorded  in  1:1,  seq.  3-8.  This 
account  of  the  observance  of  the  Passover  is 
evidently  a  piece  of  history  introduced,  like  the 
narrative  in  Lev.  24  :  10-12,  in  order  to  exhibit 
the  occasion  and  origin  of  an  ordinance.  The 
ordinance  thus  given  its  historical  occasion  is 
the  second  or  "little"  Passover  prescribed  for 
those  who  are  hindered  by  uncleanness  or  ab- 
sence from  observing  the  feast  in  the  first  month. 
As  related  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Exodus,  the 
first  Passover  was  observed  in  Egypt  on  the 
night  when  Jehovah  smote  the  firstborn ;  and 
it  contained  one  feature  which  did  not  belong  to 
later  observances  of  the  feast,  namely,  the  strik- 
ing of  the  blood  on  the  door  posts  by  which  the 
house  thus  marked  w^as  rendered  immune  from 
the  plague.  This  feature  appears  to  have  been 
replaced  by  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  on  the 
altar.  From  the  twenty-fifth  verse  of  that  chap- 
ter it  might  have  been  inferred  that  the  regular 
observances  of  the  feast  were  to  begin  when  the 
children  of  Israel  were  settled  in  their  Promised 
Land  ;  but  this  command  in  Numbers  at  the 
opening  of  the  second  year  of  the  exodus  ap- 
pears to  have  forestalled  such  a  misunderstand- 


40 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  IX. 


5  And  they  kept  the  passover  on  the  fourteenth 
day  of  the  tirst  mouth  at  even  in  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai :  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  commanded 
Moses,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel.  ^  ^,  ^ 

6  And  there  were  certain  men,  who  were  defiled 
by  the  dead  body  of  a  man,  that  they  could  not 
keep  the  passover  on  that  day:  and  they  came 
before  Moses  and  before  Aaron  on  that  day : 

7  And  those  men  said  unto  him.  We  are  defiled 
by  the  dead  body  of  a  man :  wherefore  are  we  kept 
back,  that  we  may  not  offer  an  offering  of  the  Lord 
in  his  appointed  season  among  the  children  of 

8  And  Moses  said  unto  them,  Stand  still,  and  I 
will  hear  what  the  Lord  will  command  concerning 
you. 

9  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

10  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  If 
any  man  of  you  or  of  your  posterity  shall  be  un- 
clean by  reason  of  a  dead  body,  or  be  in  a  journey 
afar  off,  yet  he  shall  keep  the  passover  unto  the 
Lord. 

11  The  fourteenth  day  of  the  second  month  at 
even  they  shall  keep  it,  and  eat  it  with  unleavened 
bread  and  bitter  herbs. 

12  They  shall  leave  none  of  it  unto  the  morning, 
nor  break  any  bone  of  it :  according  to  all  the  or- 
dinances of  the  passover  they  shall  keep  it. 

13  But  the  man  that  is  clean,  and  is  not  in  a  jour- 
ney, and  forbeareth  to  keep  the  passover,  even  the 
same  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  his  people  : 
because  he  brought  not  the  offering  of  the  Lord  in 
his  appointed  season,  that  man  shall  bear  his  sin. 

14  And  if  a  stranger  shall  sojourn  among  you, 
and  will  keep  the  passover  unto  the  Lord  ;  accord- 
ing to  the  ordinance  of  the  passover,  and  accord- 
ing to  the  manner  thereof,  so  shall  he  do  :  ye  shall 
have  one  ordinance,  both  for  the  stranger,  and  for 
him  that  was  born  in  the  land. 


5  should  keep  the  passover.  And  they  kept  the 
passover  in  the  first  month,  on  the  fourteenth  day 
of  the  month,  at  even,  in  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai:  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses,  so  did  the  children  of  Israel. 

6  And  tfiere  were  certain  men,  w^ho  were  unclean 
by  the  dead  body  of  a  man,  so  that  they  could 
not  keep  the  passover  on  that  day :  and  they 
came  before  Moses  and  before  Aaron  on  that 

7  day :  and  those  men  said  unto  him,  We  are  un- 
clean by  the  dead  body  of  a  man :  wherefore  are 
we  kept  back,  that  we  may  not  offer  the  oblation 
of  the  Lord  in  its  appointed  season  among  the 

8  children  of  Israel  ?  And  Moses  said  unto  them. 
Stay  ye  ;  that  I  may  hear  what  the  Lord  will 
command  concerning  you. 

9  And   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,    saying, 

10  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying.  If  any 
man  of  you  or  of  your  generations  shall  be  un- 
clean by  reason  of  a  dead  body,  or  be  in  a  jour- 
ney afar  off,  yet  he  shall  keep  the  passover  unto 

11  the  Lord :  in  the  second  month  on  the  fourteenth 
day  at  even  they  shall  keep  it ;  they  shall  eat  it 

12  with  unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs :  they 
shall  leave  none  of  it  unto  the  morning,  nor 
break  a  bone  thereof :  according  to  all  the  statute 

13  of  the  passover  they  shall  keep  it.  But  the  man 
that  is  clean,  and  is  not  in  a  journey,  and  for- 
beareth to  keep  the  passover,  that  soul  shall  be 
cut  off  from  his  people  :  because  he  offered  not 
the  oblation  of  the  Lord  in  its  appointed  season, 

14  that  man  shall  bear  his  sin.  And  if  a  stranger 
shall  sojourn  among  you,  and  will  keep  the  pass- 
over  unto  tlie  Lord  ;  according  to  the  statute  of 
the  passover,  and  according  to  the  ordinance 
tliereof,  so  shall  he  do  :  ye  shall  have  one  statute, 
both  for  the  stranger,  and  for  him  that  is  born 
in  the  land. 


ing.  Some  of  the  details  connected  with  this 
observance  of  the  Passover  in  the  desert,  as,  for 
instance,  how  the  thousands  of  lambs  necessary 
for  the  feast,  or,  for  that  matter,  the  many  vic- 
tims requisite  for  maintaining  the  sacrifices 
could  be  provided  by  a  people  entirely  depend- 
ent on  manna  for  their  daily  food  (Exod.  le  :  3; 
Numb.  11  :  6),  or  how  the  blood  of  so  many  vic- 
tims could  be  sprinkled  by  Aaron  and  his  two 
sons  "between  the  two  evenings,"  raise  ques- 
tions which  must  perhaps  remain  unsolved  for 
lack  of  sufficient  information. 

The  men  who  were  unclean  by  the  "  soul "  of 
a  man  have  been  conjectured  to  be  Mishael  and 
Elzaphan,  the  two  who  were  employed  to  carry 
out  the  dead  bodies  of  Nadab  and  Abihu  after 
they  were  destroyed  by  fire  from  the  Lord  (see 
Lev.  10 : 4, 5).  This  act  must  have  occurred  within 
seven  days  of  the  time  of  this  Passover,  for  the 
tw'o  young  priests  were  stricken  on  the  eighth 
day  of  their  consecration,  and  that  period  did 
not  begin  until  after  the  setting  up  of  the  taber- 
nacle on  the  first  day  of  the  second  year  of  the 
exodus  (Exod.  40  :  17).  Whether,  therefore,  they 
were  the  ones  who  made  their  petition  to  Moses 
on  this  occasion  or  not,  they  at  least  must  in  all 
probability  have  been  included  among  those 
incapacitated.  And  the  freedom,  as  well  as  the 
religious  and  national  zeal,  displayed  in  their 


remonstrance  seems  to  indicate  people  of  more 
or  less  prominence,  and  men  who  could  ap- 
proach Moses  and  Aaron  with  something  of  the 
boldness  of  relatives — men  too,  who  could  lay 
to  their  account  the  circumstance  which  thus 
deprived  them  of  the  privilege,  wherefore 
are  we  kept  back  —  all  of  which  corre- 
sponds to  the  character  and  condition  of  these 
two  cousins  of  the  high  priest  at  this  time. 
Their  conception  of  the  Passover  as  their  obla- 
tion or  "  corban  of  Jehovah,"  which  they 
counted  it  a  privilege  to  offer,  is  an  interesting 
note  of  the  religious  feeling  at  this  nascent 
period  of  tabernacle  or  church  life  in  Israel. 
The  decision  regarding  their  case  is  reserved  for 
inquiry  at  the  mouth  of  Jehovah,  as  was  done 
on  a  similar  occasion  (Lev.  24  :  12). 

9-14.  The  result  of  Moses'  inquiry  is  an  or- 
dinance of  Jehovah,  not  only  for  the  present 
case,  but  for  future  generations.  The  person 
who  is  unclean  by  a  "soul,"  or  is  on  a  distant 
journey  at  the  time  of  the  feast,  shall  keep  the 
Passover  one  month  later,  according  to  the  same 
method  as  is  prescribed  for  the  regular  Passover. 
This  Passover  was  known  among  the  Jews  as 
the  "  Little  Passover,"  as  it  did  not  include  the 
seven  days  of  unleavened  bread.  The  right  to 
observe  it  did  not  extend  to  those  who  had  failed 
to  keep  the  regular  feast  through  neglect.  Such 


Ch.  IX.] 


NUMBERS 


41 


15  And  on  the  day  that  the  tabernacle  was  reared 
up  the  cloud  covered  the  tabernacle,  namely,  the 
tent  of  the  testimony  :  and  at  even  there  was  upon 
the  tabernacle  as  it  were  the  appearance  of  fire, 
until  the  morning. 

16  So  it  was  alway :  the  cloud  covered  it  hy  day, 
and  the  appearance  of  fire  by  night. 

17  And  when  the  cloud  was  taken  up  from  the 
tabernacle,  then  after  that  the  children  of  Israel 
journeyed  :  and  in  the  place  where  the  cloud  abode, 
there  the  children  of  Israel  pitched  their  tents. 

18  At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  the  children 
of  Israel  journeyed,  and  at  the  commandment  of 
the  Lord  they  pitched  :  as  long  as  the  cloud  abode 
upon  the  tabernacle  they  rested  in  their  tents. 

19  And  when  the  cloud  tarried  long  upon  the 
tabernacle  many  days,  then  the  children  of  Israel 
kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  and  journeyed  not. 

20  And  so  it  was,  when  the  cloud  was  a  few  days 
upon  the  tabernacle ;  according  to  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  they  abode  in  their  tents,  and 
according  to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they 
journeyed. 

21  And  so  it  was,  when  the  cloud  abode  from  even 
unto  the  morning,  and  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up 
in  the  morning,  then  they  journeyed :  whether  it 
was  by  day  or  by  night  that  the  cloud  was  taken 
up,  they  journeyed. 

22  Or  whether  it  were  two  days,  or  a  month,  or  a 
year,  that  the  cloud  tarried  upon  the  tabernacle, 
remaining  thereon,  the  children  of  Israel  abode  in 
their  tents,  and  journeyed  not :  but  when  it  was 
taken  up,  they  journeyed. 

23  At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  rested 
in  the  tents,  and  at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord 
they  journeyed  :  they  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord, 
at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of 
Moses. 


15  And  on  the  day  that  the  tabernacle  was  reared 
up  the  cloud  covered  the  tabernacle,  even  the 
tent  of  the  testimony  :  and  at  even  it  was  upon 
the  tabernacle  as  it  were  the  appearance  of  fire, 

16  until  morning.  So  it  was  alway  :  the  cloud  cov- 
ered it,  and  the  appearance  of  fire  by  night. 

17  And  whenever  the  cloud  was  taken  up  from 
over  the  Tent,  then  after  that  the  children  of 
Israel  journeyed :  and  in  the  place  where  the 
cloud  abode,  there  the  children  of  Israel  en- 

18  camped.  At  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  the 
children  of  Israel  journeyed,  and  at  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  they  encamped  :  as  long 
as  the  cloud  abode  upon  the  tabernacle  they  re- 

19  mained  encamped.  And  when  the  cloud  tarried 
upon  the  tabernacle  many  days,  then  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  and 

20  journeyed  not.  And  sometimes  the  cloud  was  a 
few  days  upon  the  tabernacle ;  then  according 
to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  remained 
encamped,  and  according  to  the  commandment 

21  of  the  Lord  they  journeyed.  And  sometimes  the 
cloud  was  from  evening  until  morning  ;  and 
when  the  cloud  was  taken  up  in  the  morning, 
they  journeyed  :  or  ij  it  continued  by  day  and  by 
night,  when  the  cloud  was  taken  up,  they  jour- 

22  neyed.  Whether  it  were  two  days,  or  a  month, 
or  a  year,  that  the  cloud  tarried  upon  the  taber- 
nacle, abiding  thereon,  the  children  of  Israel 
remained  encamped,  and  journeyed  not :   but 

23  when  it  was  taken  up,  they  journeyed.  At  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  they  encamped,  and 
at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  they  jour- 
neyed :  they  kept  the  charge  of  the  Lord,  at  the 
commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 


remissness  must  be  punished  by  the  severest 
ecclesiastical  penalty.  Hezekiah  seems  to  have 
availed  himself  of  this  privilege  of  keep- 
ing the  Passover  in  the  second  month  when  he 
celebrated  the  feast  after  his  reformation,  as  he 
was  unable  to  complete  the  purification  of  the 
temple  and  the  priesthood  in  time  for  its  ob- 
servance in  the  first  month  (see  2  Chron.  29, 30).  As 
for  the  foreigner  dwelling  among  the  children 
of  Israel  who  keeps  the  Passover,  he  shall  con- 
form to  the  same  ordinance  as  the  native  born 
— it  being  understood,  however,  according  to 
Exod.  12  :  48,  49,  that  he  must  first  submit  to 
circumcision. 

15-23.  This  section  is  closely  connected  with 
the  account  of  the  setting  up  of  the  tabernacle 
given  in  Exod.  40,  and  is  indeed  only  an  ex- 
panded and  more  circumstantial  repetition  of 
the  subject-matter  of  ver.  34-38  of  that  chapter. 
The  phenomenon  of  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day 
and  of  fire  by  night  appeared  with  the  first 
exodus  from  Egypt  (Exod.  13  :  21,  seq.) ;  that  cloud 
seems  from  the  first  to  have  so  closely  and  intel- 
ligently adapted  its  movements  to  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  host,  not  only  in  leading  the  way,  but 
in  warding  ofi'the  enemy  (iwd.,  u  :  19, 20),  that  it 
seemed  to  the  people  clearly  supernatural,  and 
associated  itself  in  their  mind  with  the  angel 
of  God.    Immediately  on  the  completion  of  the 


tabernacle  the  cloud  descended  and  filled  it  for 
a  time  with  its  radiance,  making  it  impossible 
for  Moses  to  enter  (Exod.  40  :  34, 35),  as  did  a  simi- 
lar cloud  at  the  consecration  of  Solomon's  temple 
(1  Kings  8  :  10, 11 ).  The  accouut  here  in  Numbers 
goes  on  to  say  that  not  only  did  that  cloud  cover 
the  tabernacle  at  the  time  of  its  first  erection, 
but  so  it  was  all  through  the  joumeyings  of  the 
children  of  Israel.  The  tabernacle  which  it 
overshadowed  is  called  the  tent  of  the  testi- 
mony (ver.  i5)j  meaning  the  tent  where  the  ark 
of  the  testimony  Avas  kept ;  but  this  is  not  to  be 
taken  as  meaning  that  it  covered  only  the  holy 
of  holies,  though  no  doubt  it  stood  centrally 
over  that  sacred  spot  where  Jehovah  dwelt  be- 
tween the  cherubim.  The  behavior  of  the  cloud 
became  the  signal  for  the  people's  breaking 
camp  or  remaining  at  rest ;  when  it  was  lifted 
they  journeyed,  and  where  it  settled,  there  they 
encamped.  Thus  they  formed  the  habit  of 
journeying  at  the  "mouth"  or  command  of 
Jehovah,  that  command  being  given  through 
the  agency  of  the  cloud  and  interpreted  for  the 
children  of  Israel  by  the  hand  (ver.  23)  of  Moses. 
This  thought  of  a  life  making  no  plans  of  its 
own,  having  no  prospects  which  can  be  antici- 
pated and  provided  for  by  human  judgment, 
but  regulating  all  its  action  by  specific  divine 
command  from  day  to  day,  is  one  that   has 


42 


NUMBEKS 


[Ch.  X. 


CHAPTER    X. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Make  thee  two  trumpets  of  silver  ;  of  a  whole 
piece  Shalt  thou  make  them :  that  thou  mayest  use 
them  for  the  calling  of  the  assembly,  and  for  the 
journeying  of  the  camps. 

3  And  when  they  shall  blow  with  them,  all  the 
assembly  shall  assemble  themselves  to  thee  at  the 
door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

4  And  if  they  blow  but  with  one  trumpet,  then  the 
princes,  which  are  heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel, 
shall  gather  themselves  unto  thee. 

5  When  ye  blow  an  alarm,  then  the  camps  that 
lie  on  the  east  parts  shall  go  forward. 

6  When  ye  blow  an  alarm  the  second  time,  then 
the  camps  that  lie  on  the  south  side  sliall  take 
their  journey :  they  shall  blow  an  alarm  for  their 
journeys. 

7  But  when  the  congregation  is  to  be  gathered 
together,  ye  shall  blow,  but  ye  shall  not  sound  an 
alarm. 

8  And  the  sons  of  Aaron,  the  priests,  shall  blow 
witli  the  trumpets ;  and  they  shall  be  to  you  for  an 
ordinance  for  ever  throughout  your  generations. 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Make  thee  two  trumpets  of  silver ;  of  beaten 
work  shalt  thou  make  them :  and  thou  shalt  use 
them  for  the  calling  of  the  congregation,  and 

3  for  the  journeying  of  the  camps.  And  when 
they  shall  blow  with  them,  all  the  congregation 
shall  gather  themselves  unto  thee  at  the  door  of 

4  the  tent  of  meeting.  And  if  they  blow  but  with 
one,  then  the  princes,  the  heads  of  the  thousands 
of   Israel,  shall  gather  themselves  unto  thee. 

5  And  when  ye  blow  an  alarm,  the  camps  that  lie 

6  on  the  east  side  shall  take  their  journey.  And 
when  ye  blow  an  alarm  the  second  time,  the 
camps  that  lie  on  the  south  side  shall  take  their 
journey:   they  shall   blow  an  alarm  for  their 

7  journeys.  But  when  the  assembly  is  to  be 
gathered  together,  ye  shall  blow,  but  ye  shall 

8  not  sound  an  alarm.  And  the  sons  of  Aaron, 
the  priests,  shall  blow  with  the  trumpets ;  and 
they  shall   be  to  you  for  a  statute   for  ever 


always  been  attractive  to  those  of  most  fervent 
piety  and  nearest  walk  with  God.  It  is  espe- 
cially inspiring  in  relation  to  that  aspect  of  our 
life  which  is  like  the  journeying  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  its  temporariness  and  its  uncertainty. 
Those  are  wisest  who  form  the  habit  of  holding 
their  schemes  subject  to  God's  permission,  and 
saying,  "If  the  Lord  will,  we  shall  both  live, 
and  do  this  or  that"  (James  4  :  i5).  Yet  such  a 
piecemeal  guidance  by  direct  supernatural 
agency,  attractive  and  infallible  as  it  appears, 
would  contribute  only  a  one-sided  development 
to  the  godward  character.  It  might  emphasize 
the  existence  and  importance  of  the  spiritual 
world  (Deut.  8:5),  but  it  would  not,  as  a  perma- 
nent discipline,  develop  spiritual  judgment  or 
self-reliance.  Those  in  perpetual  tutelage  re- 
main perpetually  children.  And  it  is  to  be 
noted  that  the  daily  sight  of  the  supernatural 
did  not,  after  all,  prevent  the  children  of  Israel 
from  missing  their  goal  through  unbelief.  This 
visible  parental  conducting  of  the  life  has  its 
lesson  and  stimulus  for  the  Christian,  but  it  pre- 
sents us  only  one  side  of  the  pattern  to  which 
our  spiritual  growth  is  to  conform.  This  is 
what  God  does  for  his  people  when  he  is  carry- 
ing them  as  the  eagle  carries  her  young  on  her 
wings  (Exod.  19  :  4;  Deut.  32  :  ii).  Wc  are  not  to 
reckon  ourselves  necessarily  remiss  in  faith  or 
immediate  amenability  to  the  divine  command 
because  our  own  higher  life  is  more  predomi- 
nantly guided  by  our  educated  judgment  and  ini- 
tiative. This  may  be  the  sign  of  greater  maturity 
rather  than  of  greater  remoteness  from  God.  But 
meanwhile  let  us  also  be  inspired  by  this  child- 
like journeying  of  God's  people  to  wait  in  un- 
questioning faith  for  the  direct  guidance  of  God 
in  that  aspect  of  our  inner  life  to  which  it 


applies.  However  wise  or  far-sighted  we  may 
train  ourselves  to  be  in  following  that  part  of 
the  will  of  God  which  reveals  itself  to  sanctified 
good  sense,  there  ever  and  anon  arise  crises 
which  bring  home  to  us  our  helplessness  and 
short-sightedness  as  those  of  higher  citizenship 
journeying  through  an  unknown  desert.  It  is 
then  that  our  highest  wisdom  will  be  found  in 
reverting,  with  childlike  spirit,  to  the  pattern 
of  that  guidance  vouchsafed  to  the  children  of 
God  so  long  ago,  and  watching  intently  for  the 
signs  of  God's  specific  mandate  given,  if  not  in 
direct  supernatural  revelation,  at  least  in  the 
spiritual  interpretation  of  his  daily  providences, 
while  in  self-effacement  we  pray : 

Keep  thou  my  feet ;  I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene,  one  step  enough  for  me. 


Chap.  10.  1-10.  The  silver  trumpets 
AND  THEIR  USE.  The  kind  of  trumpet  here 
mentioned  was  probably  a  straight  and  some- 
what slender  tube  expanding  into  a  bell  shape, 
as  described  by  Josephus,  Ant.,  III.,  12  :  6.  It 
thus  differed  from  the  "^311^,  shophar,  or  cornet, 
which  was  crooked  and  often  made  of  the  horn 
of  a  ram  or  chamois.  Representations  of  the 
straight  trumpet  are  found  on  the  Arch  of  Titus. 
Evidently  these  silver  trumpets  were  intended 
as  a  sacred  instrument,  to  be  used  only  by  the 
priests  for  the  calling  of  the  congregation  and 
on  occasions  where  the  orders  or  reminders 
given  were  to  be  taken  as  divine ;  as  on  the 
breaking  up  of  the  camp,  or  at  the  time  of  set 
feasts,  or  on  occasions  of  religious  rejoicing. 
They  were  thought  of,  not  only  as  Jehovah's 
instrument  for  calling  to  the  nation,  but  as 
their  instrument  for  calling  to  him.  When 
the  nation  went  to  war  against  the  oppressor  io 


Ch.  X.] 


NUMBERS 


43 


9  And  if  ye  go  to  war  in  your  land  against  the 
enemy  that  oppresseth  you,  then  ye  shall  blow  an 
alarm  with  the  trumpets  ;  and  ye  shall  be  remem- 
bered before  the  Lord  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be 
saved  from  your  enemies. 

10  Also  in  the  day  of  your  gladness,  and  in  your 
solemn  days,  and  in  the  beginnings  of  your  mouths, 
ye  shall  blow  with  the  trumpets  over  your  burnt 
offerings,  and  over  the  sacrifices  of  your  peace 
offerings ;  that  they  may  be  to  you  for  a  memorial 
before  your  God :  1  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


9  throughout  your  generations.  And  when  ye  go 
to  war  in  your  land  against  the  adversary  that 
oppresseth  you,  then  ye  shall  sound  an  alarm 
with  the  trumpets  ;  and  ye  shall  be  remembered 
before  the  Lord  your  God,  and  ye  shall  be  saved 
10  from  your  enemies.  Also  in  the  day  of  your 
gladness,  and  in  your  set  feasts,  and  in  the  be- 
ginnings of  your  months,  ye  shall  blow  with  the 
trumpets  over  your  burnt  offerings,  and  over  the 
sacrifices  of  your  peace  offerings ;  and  they  shall 
be  to  you  for  a  memorial  before  your  God  :  1  am 
the  Lord  your  God. 


their  land,  the  blast  of  these  trumpets  would 
remind  Jehovah  of  their  distress  and  bring  him 
to  the  rescue  (^er.  9).  Whether  in  war  or  on  oc- 
casions of  festivity,  the  trumpets  were  to  serve 
the  general  purpose  of  a  reminder,  memorial 
(ver.  10),  or  symbol  of  the  power  to  summon  a 
gracious  God.  In  that  war  of  vengeance  against 
the  Midianites  in  which  Balaam  was  slain,  the 
zealous  Phinehas  carried  the  silver  trumpets, 
along  with  other  temple  utensils,  into  the  battle 
(31  : 6).  Abijah  the  king  of  Judah,  in  his  battle 
for  the  succession  against  Jeroboam  the  usurper, 
made  the  presence  in  the  host  of  the  legitimate 
priests  with  the  trumpets  of  alarm  a  great 
ground  of  confidence  as  he  made  his  battle- 
taunt  (2  Chron.  13  :  12)  ;  and  indeed  the  timely 
sounding  of  these  instruments  served  to  remind 
the  army  of  Judah,  even  though  surprised  and 
surrounded,  of  the  help  of  God,  and  to  turn 
panic  into  victory  (ibid.,  ver.  14,  15).  The  same 
sort  of  straight  trumpets  to  the  number  of  one 


hundred  and  twenty  was  used  in  the  temple  band 
at  the  dedication  of  Solomon's  temple  (2  chron. 
5 :  12) ;  but  whether  these  instruments  were  re- 
garded as  of  equal  oflScial  sacredness  with  the 
original  and  divinely  ordained  two  may  be 
doubted. 

When  both  trumpets  were  blown  with  short 
blasts  the  congregation  was  to  assemble  at  the 
door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  while  a  similar  sig- 
nal with  one  trumpet  summoned  only  the  princes 
or  heads  of  the  host.  A  long,  full  blast,  or 
n^^nr\,  t'rit'ah,  was  the  signal  for  the  camps  on 
the  east  side,  or  the  van,  to  take  up  the  line  of 
march.  A  second  long  blast  brought  the  camps 
on  the  south  side  to  their  feet ;  and  the  Septua- 
gint  adds  as  the  natural  conclusion  of  the  com- 
mand that  the  third  blast  was  to  set  in  motion 
the  camps  on  the  west,  and  the  fourth  the  north- 
ward camps  which  brought  up  the  rear.  With 
this  account  of  the  trumpets  and  their  uses  ends 
the  history  of  the  sojourn  at  Sinai. 


PART  SECOND. 


THE  JOURNEY  FROM  SINAI  TO  THE  STEPPES  OF  MOAB. 
CHAPTERS  10  :  11  TO  22  :  1. 


This  section  of  the  book  of  Numbers  gives 
us  practically  all  the  history  we  have  of  the 
wilderness  wandering  of  nearly  forty  years. 
With  the  exception  of  a  few  months  at  the  be- 
ginning and  end  of  the  period,  the  whole  time 
is  spent  in  the  neighborhood  of  Kadesh.  The 
children  of  Israel  start  on  their  journey  from 
Sinai  and  come  to  the  wilderness  of  Paran  ;  but 
on  their  way  to  that  wilderness  occurs  the  inci- 
dent of  the  phenomenal  flight  of  quails  with 
its  sequel  of  a  more  or  less  protracted  period  of 
sickness  in  the  host.  At  Kadesh  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Paran,  a  place  which  communicates  by 
the  Amorite  hill-road  with  the  Negeh  or  south 
country  of  Canaan,  spies  are  sent  out  to  recon- 
noitre and  bring  back  a  description  of  the  Prom- 
ised Land,  but  on  account  of  their  unfavorable 
report  and  the  consequent  murmuring  of  the 
congregation  the  people  are  doomed  to  wander 
in  the  wilderness  until  that  whole  generation 
has  passed  away.  The  principal  incident  of 
this  wandering  of  which  we  h^ve  a.n  account  is 


the  rebellion  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram, 
with  the  divine  disclosure  of  the  choice  of 
Aaron  which  accompanied  it.  At  the  end  of 
the  long  w^andering  the  tribes  are  again  gathered 
at  Kadesh  where  Miriam  dies,  and  Moses  and 
Aaron,  for  their  conduct  at  the  waters  of  Meri- 
bah,  are  sentenced  to  failure  in  bringing  the 
people  into  the  Promised  Land.  The  journey 
around  the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  begun, 
Aaron  dies  and  is  buried  at  Mount  Hor;  the 
people  being  refused  permission  to  pass  through 
the  territory  of  Edom,  take  the  Elanitic  gulf 
route,  and  at  length,  after  various  vicissitudes, 
arrive  at  the  country  of  the  Amorite  Sihon,  east 
of  the  Jordan,  over  whom  they  gain  a  decisive 
victory,  and  then  exultantly  take  possession  of 
the  territory  which  he  has  recently  wrested 
from  Moab.  As  their  men  of  war  pass  north- 
ward in  the  act  of  completing  the  conquest  of 
the  Amorites,  their  advance  is  disputed  by  Og 
the  king  of  Bashan,  whom  they  overcome  in  a 
similarly  decisive  manner.    The  section  leaves 


44 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  X. 


11  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  twentieth  day  of 
the  second  month,  in  the  second  year,  that  the 
cloud  was  taken  up  from  off  the  tabernacle  of  the 
testimony.  ,       ,  ,,    .    . 

12  And  the  children  of  Israel  took  their  journeys 
out  of  the  wilderness  of  Sinai ;  and  the  cloud 
rested  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran. 

13  And  they  first  took  their  journey  according  to 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  by  the  hand  of 
Moses. 

14  In  the  first  pZace  went  the  standard  of  the 
camp  of  the  children  of  Judah  according  to  their 
armies:  and  over  his  host  was  Nahshon  the  son  of 
Amminadab. 

15  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Issachar  ivas  Nethaneel  the  son  of  Zuar. 

16  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Zebulun  was  P'liab  the  son  of  Helon. 

17  And  the  tabernacle  was  taken  down  ;  and  the 
sons  of  Gershon  and  the  sons  of  Merari  set  forward, 
bearing  the  tabernacle. 

18  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Reuben  set 
forward  according  to  their  armies:  and  over  his 
host  was  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur, 

19  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Simeon  was  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai. 

20  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Gad  was  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel. 

21  And  the  Kohathites  set  forward,  bearing  the 
sanctuary  :  and  the  other  did  set  up  the  tabernacle 
against  they  came. 

22  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  the  children 
of  Ephraim  set  forward  according  to  their  armies  : 
and  over  his  host  was  Elishama  the  son  of  Am- 
mihud. 

23  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Manasseh  was  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur. 

24  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Benjamin  was  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni. 

25  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  the  children 
of  Dan  set  forward,  which  was  the  rereward  of  all 
the  camps  throughout  their  hosts :  and  over  his 
host  was  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai. 

26  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Asher  was  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ocran. 

27  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children 
of  Naphtali  was  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan. 

28  Thus  were  the  journeyings  of  the  children  of 
Israel  according  to  their  armies,  when  they  set 
forward. 


11  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  second  year,  in  the 
second  month,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the 
month,  that  the  cloud  was  taken  up  from  over 

12  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony.  And  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  set  forward  according  to  their 
journeys  out  of  the  wilderness  of  Sinai ;  and  the 

13  cloud  abode  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran.  And 
they  first  took  their  journey  according  to  the 
commandment  of   the    Lord    by  i  the    hand    of 

14  Moses.  And  in  the  first  place  the  standard  of 
the  camp  of  the  children  of  Judah  set  forward 
according  to  their  hosts :  and  over  his  host  was 

15  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab.  And  over  the 
host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Issachar  was 

16  Nethanel  the  son  of  Zuar.  And  over  the  host  of 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Zebulun  was  Eliab 

17  the  son  of  Helon.  And  the  tabernacle  was  taken 
down  I  and  the  sons  of  Gershon  and  the  sons  of 
Merari.  who  bare  the  tabernacle,  set  forward. 

18  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Reuben  set 
forward  according  to  their  hosts:  and  over  his 

19  host  was  Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur.  And  over 
the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Simeon 

20  was  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zurishaddai.  And 
over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Gad 

21  was  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel.  And  the  Ko- 
hathites set  forward,  bearing  the  sanctuary: 
and  the  other  did  set  up  the  tabernacle  against 

22  they  came.  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of 
the  children  of  Ephraim  set  forward  according 
to  their  hosts :  and  over  his  host  was  Elishama 

23  the  son  of  Ammihud.  And  over  the  host  of  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Manasseh  was  Gamaliel 

24  the  son  of  Pedahzur.  And  over  the  host  of  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Benjamin  was  Abidan  the 

25  son  of  Gideoni.  And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of 
the  children  of  Dan.which  was  the  rearward  of  all 
the  camps,  set  forward  according  to  their  hosts : 
and  over  his  host  was  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Am- 

26  mishaddai.  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of 
the  children  of  Asher  was  Pagiel  the  son  of 

27  Ochran.  And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Naphtali  was  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan. 

28  Thus  were  the  journeyings  of  the  children  of 
Israel  according  to  their  hosts;  and  they  set 
forward. 


them  in  the  Steppes  of  Moab  over  against  Jeri- 
cho, the  object  of  apprehension  and  dislike  to 
all  their  neighbors.  Several  chapters  of  Leviti- 
cal  regulations  are  inserted  from  the  priestly- 
sources  without  obvious  connection  with  the 
history. 

11-36.  Depaeture  of  the  children  op 
Israel  from  Mount  Sinai.  Hobab  se- 
cured as  a  GUIDE.     Functions  op  the 

ARK  IN  DIRECTING  THE  MOVEMENTS  OP  THE 
host.  The  children  of  Israel  had  now  been 
staying  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai  nearly  a 
full  year  (cr.  Exod.  i9  :  i),  during  which  time 
the  tabernacle  had  been  reared,  the  Levitical 
law  given,  and  the  numbering  and  organizing 
of  the  camp  for  marching  and  for  tabernacle 
service  effected.  Verse  twelve  relates  in  a  sum- 
mary way,  and  by  anticipation,  the  protracted 
resting  of  the  cloud  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran 
where  the  people  were  sentenced  to  a  forty 
years'  wandering ;  but  between  Sinai  and  that 
place  there  were  at  least  two  encampings,  at 


Kibroth-hattaawah  and  at  Hazeroth  (n  :  34,  35 ; 
12  :  16),  This  wilderness  of  Paran  was  the  half 
of  the  northern  portion  of  the  peninsula  be- 
tween Egypt  and  Canaan,  which  lies  east  of  the 
river  of  Egypt  and  the  desert  of  Shur,  and  west 
of  the  Arabah  or  deep  valley  stretching  south- 
ward from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Gulf  of  Akabah. 
It  is  known  to  the  modern  Arabs  as  Badiet  et 
Tih,  or  Desert  of  the  Wandering.  It  is  parted 
from  the  mountainous  region  of  Sinai  by  a 
great  sand  belt  extending  across  the  peninsula 
from  gulf  to  gulf,  in  which  belt  were  the  two 
stations,  Kibroth-hattaawah  and  Hazeroth. 

After  a  rather  meaningless  verse  (i3)  which 
furnishes  an  excuse  for  a  description  of  the 
order  of  march,  the  priestly  author  repeats  the 
names  of  the  leaders  of  the  tribes  and  the  ar- 
rangement of  march  already  given  in  chap. 
2,  in  something  of  the  spirit  of  delight  in  the 
elaboration  of  detail  which  prompted  the  ex- 
traordinary repetitions  of  the  seventh  chapter. 
A  variation  is  introduced  in  the  placing  of  the 


Ch.  X.] 


NUMBERS 


45 


29  And  Moses  said  unto  Hobab,  the  son  of  Raguel 
the  Midianite,  Moses'  fatlier  iu  law,  We  are  jour- 
neying unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said, 
I  will  give  it  you :  come  thou  with  us,  and  we  will 
do  thee  good  :  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good  con- 
cerning Israel. 

30  And  he  said  unto  him,  I  will  not  go  ;  but  I  will 
depart  to  mine  own  land,  and  to  my  kindred. 

31  And  he  said,  Leave  us  not,  I  pray  thee  ;  foras- 
much as  thou  knowest  how  we  are  to  encamp  in 
the  wilderness,  and  thou  mayest  be  to  us  instead  of 
eyes, 

32  And  it  shall  be,  if  thou  go  with  us,  yea,  it 
shall  be,  that  what  goodness  the  Lord  shall  do  unto 
us,  the  same  will  we  do  unto  thee. 

33  And  they  departed  from  the  mount  of  the 
Lord  three  days'  journey :  and  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant of  the  Lord  went  before  them  in  the  three 
days'  journey,  to  search  out  a  resting  place  for 
them. 

34  And  the  cloud  of  the  Lord  was  upon  them  by 
day,  when  they  went  out  of  the  camp. 

35  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  ark  set  forward, 
that  Moses  said,  Rise  up,  Lord,  and  let  thine  ene- 
mies be  scattered  ;  and  let  them  that  hate  thee  flee 
before  thee. 

36  And  when  it  rested,  he  said,  Return,  O  Lord, 
unto  the  many  thousands  of  Israel. 


29  And  Moses  said  unto  Hobab,  the  son  of  Reuel 
the  Midianite,  Moses'  father  in  law.  We  are 
journeying  unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord 
said,  I  will  give  it  you  :  come  thou  with  us,  and 
we  will  do  thee  good  :  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken 

30  good  concerning  Israel.  And  he  said  unto  him, 
I  will  not  go ;   but  I  will  depart  to  mine  own 

31  land,  and  to  my  kindred.  And  he  said.  Leave 
us  not,  I  pray  thee  ;  forasmuch  as  thou  knowest 
how  we  are  to  encamp  in  the  wilderness,  and 

32  thou  Shalt  be  to  us  instead  of  eyes.  And  it  shall 
be,  if  thou  go  with  us,  yea,  it  shall  be,  that  what 
good  soever  the  Lord  shall  do  unto  us,  the  same 
will  we  do  unto  thee. 

33  And  they  set  forward  from  the  mount  of  the 
Lord  three  days'  journey ;  and  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord  went  before  them  three 
days'  journey,  to  seek  out  a  resting  place  for 

34  them.  And  the  cloud  of  the  Lord  was  over  them 
by  day,  when  they  set  forward  from  the  camp. 

35  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  ark  set  forward, 
that  Moses  said,  Rise  up,  O  Lord,  and  let  thine 
enemies  be  scattered  ;  and  let  them  that  hate 

36  thee  flee  before  thee.  And  when  it  rested,  he 
said.  Return,  O  Lord,  unto  the  ten  thousands  of 
the  thousands  of  Israel. 


tabernacle  between  the  first  and  second  groups 
of  three  tribes  in  the  line  of  march  instead  of 
between  the  second  and  third,  as  in  chap.  2, 
and  in  the  bringing  of  the  most  holy  furniture 
three  tribes  behind,  or  in  the  original  place  of 
the  whole  tabernacle,  that  it  might  find  the 
tent  pitched  in  readiness  for  it  when  it  arrived 
at  the  place  of  encamping. 

29-32.  It  is  not  possible  to  determine  with 
certainty  whether  Hobab  or  Reuel  was  the  same 
as  Jethro,  and  therefore  whether  Hobab  was 
father-in-law  or  brother-in-law  of  Moses.  The 
word  \r\r\,  chothen,  here  translated  father-in- 
law,  may  possibly  mean  any  relation  on  the 
wife's  side,  and  in  this  passage  the  word  may  be 
in  apposition  either  with  Hobab  or  Reuel.  If 
Reuel  in  Exod.  2  :  18  is  the  same  as  Jethro  in 
3  :  1,  it  appears  more  probable  that  Hobab, 
Reuel's  sou,  was  Moses'  brother-in-law,  but  on 
the  other  hand,  the  narrative  in  Exod.  2  :  16 
seems  to  preclude  the  idea  that  the  priest  of  Mid- 
ian  had  sons.  It  is  said  in  Exod.  18  :  27  that 
Jethro,  after  his  visit  to  Moses  here  at  Sinai,  was 
allowed  to  depart  to  his  home  ;  while  from  the 
present  passage  it  seems  to  be  implied  that 
Hobab  was  prevailed  upon  to  go  with  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  and  act  as  their  guide.  We  find 
from  Judg.  1  :  16  and  4  :  11  that  the  descend- 
ants of  Hobab,  there  called  Kenites,  were  set- 
tled in  Canaan,  having  thus  obtained  the  ful- 
fillment of  the  promise  in  verse  thirty-two,  and 
their  ancestor's  services  to  the  children  of  Is- 
rael while  in  the  wilderness  were  long  held  in 
grateful  remembrance  (i  Sam.  is  :  6).  The  narra- 
tive in  this  paragraph,  as  well  as  in  the  remain- 
der of  the  chapter,  is  conjectured  by  critics  to  be 


derived  from  a  difierent  original  source  from  the 
book  of  Numbers,  or  indeed  of  Leviticus,  thus 
far,  being  the  first  occurrence  in  these  books  of 
material  derived  from  the  so-called  JE  document. 

33-36.  From  this  passage,  which  is  believed 
to  be  from  the  JE  source,  the  ark  seems  to  be 
differently  related  to  the  host  and  to  the  taber- 
nacle paraphernalia  from  what  it  is  in  the  later 
and  more  elaborate  temple  organization  of  the 
priest  document.  Instead  of  being  carefully 
wrapped  and  kept  with  the  other  material  and 
furniture  of  the  sanctuary,  guarded  front  and 
rear  by  the  two  halves  of  the  host,  it  appears  to 
be  the  leader  of  the  marching  congregation, 
going  far  in  advance  in  order  to  seek  out  a  rest- 
ing place  for  the  camp  and  carrying  the  over- 
shadowing cloud  with  it.  This  corresponds 
with  the  prominence  given  to  it  in  the  crossing 
of  the  Jordan  (Josh,  s  :  3,  4),  and  to  some  extent 
in  the  siege  of  Jericho,  where  it  is  borne  by 
priests  (Josh.  6:4),  though  there  it  is  accompanied 
by  a  vanguard  and  rearguard  of  armed  men  (iwd., 
9).  It  seems  to  have  been  regarded  as  a  palla- 
dium in  the  early  history  of  Canaan  (i  sam.  4). 

The  movement  of  the  ark  appears  to  be  taken 
as  the  central  and  official  act  in  the  movement 
of  the  host,  especially  in  the  formula  for  break- 
ing camp  and  halting  in  ver.  35, 36.  Here  Moses 
addresses  Jehovah  as  if  he  were  symbolically 
embodied  in  the  ark,  the  consciousness  of  his 
presence  in  the  cloud,  characteristic  of  the 
priestly  narrative  (see9 :  15-23),  being  here  entirely 
replaced  by  a  sense  of  the  divine  identity  with 
his  written  testimony.  The  sublime  bit  of  poetry 
here  given  awakens  a  re-echoing  note  in  the  later 
songs  of  the  people  (p^-  68  c  1 ;  132  .•  si 


46 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XI. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


1  AND  when  the  people  complained,  it  displeased 
the  Lord:  and  the  Lord  heard  it;  and  his  anger 
was  kindled  ;  and  the  tire  of  the  Lord  burnt  among 
tliem,  and  consumed  them  that  were  in  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  camp. 

2  And  the  people  cried  unto  Moses ;  and  when 
Moses  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  the  fire  was  quenched. 

3  And  he  called  the  name  of  the  place  Taberuh  : 
because  tlie  fire  of  the  Lord  burnt  among  them. 

4  And  the  mixt  multitude  that  was  among  them 
fell  a  lusting  :  and  the  children  of  Israel  also  wept 
again,  and  said.  Who  shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat? 

5  We  remember  the  fish,  which  we  did  eat  in 
Egypt  freely  ;  the  cucumbers,  and  the  melons,  and 
the  leeks,  and  the  onions,  and  the  garlick  : 

6  But  now  our  soul  is  dried  away  :  there  is  noth- 
ing at  all,  beside  this  manna,  before  our  eyes. 

7  And  the  manna  was  as  coriander  seed,  and  the 
colour  thereof  as  the  colour  of  bdellium. 

8  And  the  people  went  about,  and  gathered  it, 
and  ground  it  in  mills,  or  beat  it  in  a  mortar,  and 
baked  it  in  pans,  and  made  c-akes  of  it :  and  the 
taste  of  it  was  as  the  taste  of  fiesh  oil. 

9  And  wlien  the  dew  fell  upon  the  camp  in  the 
night,  tile  manna  fell  upon  it. 

10  Then  Moses  heard  the  people  weep  throughout 
their  families,  every  man  in  the  door  of  liis  tent: 
and  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  greatly  ; 
Moses  also  was  displeased. 

11  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  Wherefore  hast 
thou  atilicted  thy  servant?  and  wherefore  have  I 
not  found  favour  in  thy  sight,  that  thou  layest  the 
burden  of  all  this  people  upon  me? 

12  Have  I  conceived  all  this  people?  have  I  be- 
gotten them,  that  thou  shouldest  say  unto  me, 
Carry  them  in  thy  bosom,  as  a  nursing  father  bear- 
eth  the  suckling  child,  unto  the  land  which  thou 
swarest  unto  their  fathers  ? 


1  AND  the  people  were  as  murmurers,  speaking 
evil  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord  :  and  when  the  Lord 
heard  it,  his  anger  was  kindled  ;  and  the  fire  of 
the  Lord  burnt  among  them,  and  devoured  in 

2  the  uttermost  part  of  the  camp.  And  the  people 
cried  unto  Moses ;  and  Moses  prayed  unto  the 

3  Lord,  and  the  fire  abated.  And  the  name  of  that 
place  was  called  Taberah  :  because  the  fire  of 
the  Lord  burnt  among  them. 

4  And  the  mixed  multitude  that  was  among 
them  fell  a  lusting :  and  the  children  of  Israel 
also  wept  again,  and  said.  Who  shall  give  us 

5  flesh  to  eat?  We  remember  the  fish,  which  we 
did  eat  in  Egypt  for  nought ;  the  cucumbers, 
and  the  melons,  and  the  leeks,  and  the  onions, 

6  and  the  garlick  :  but  now  our  soul  is  dried 
away  ;  there  is  nothing  at  all :  we  have  nought 

7  save  this  manna  to  look  to.  And  the  manna 
was  like  coriander  seed,  and  the  appearance 

8  thereof  as  the  appearance  of  bdellium.  The 
people  went  about,  and  gathered  it,  and  ground 
it  in  mills,  or  beat  it  in  mortars,  and  seethed  it 
in  pots,  and  made  cakes  of  it:  and  tlie  taste  of 

9  it  was  as  the  taste  of  iresli  oil.  And  when  the 
dew  fell  upon  the  camp  in  the  night,  the  inanna 

10  fell  upon  it.  And  Moses  heard  the  people  weep- 
ing throughout  their  families,  every  man  at  tlie 
door  of  his  tent :  and  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was 
kindled    greatly;    and    Moses    was   displeased. 

11  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  Wherefore  hast 
thou  evil  entreated  thy  servant?  and  wherefore 
have  I  not  found  favour  in  thy  sight,  that  thou 
layest  the  burden  of  all  this  people  upon  me? 

12  Havel  conceived  all  this  people?  have  I  brought 
them  forth,  that  thou  shouldest  say  unto  me, 
Carry  them  in  thy  bosom,  as  a  nursing-father 
carrieth  the  sucking  child,  unto  the  laud  which 


Chap.  11.  The  murmuring  of  the  peo- 
ple AT  Taberah  and  Kibroth-Hatta- 
AWAH.  Appointment  of  seventy  elders 
TO  ASSIST  Moses.  Quails  given  to  satisfy 
THE  PEOPLE.  1-3.  And  Avhen  the  people 
complained,  etc.  Rather,  And  the  people 
were  as  those  that  complain  in  the  ears  of  Jeho- 
vah of  something  bad.  What  was  the  subject  of 
their  complaint  is  not  stated.  In  Ps.  78  :  20, 
21  the  occasion  is  poetically  described  as  a  ques- 
tioning whether  God  would  provide  bread  and 
flesh  for  the  people.  Evidently  a  fire  which 
broke  out  at  the  extremity  of  the  camp  was  ac- 
counted for  as  a  judgment  from  Jehovah,  and  it 
apparently  subsided  at  the  intercession  of  Moses. 
The  place  Taberah  is  not  generally  reckoned 
as  one  of  the  stations  in  the  wilderness  journey,  as 
the  itinerary  in  cliap.  33  places  Kibroth-Hatta- 
awah  immediately  after  the  wilderness  of  Sinai 
(ibid.,  ver.  16)  in  the  ordcr  of  stations.  It  is  per- 
haps only  the  part  of  the  camp  at  Kibroth- 
Hattaawah  where  the  fire  broke  out. 

4-15.  The  mixt  multitude  (ver.  4).  The 
Hebrew  word  is  an  onomatopoetic  coinage,  like 
"  riff-raff,"  A  mixed  multitude  is  mentioned 
at  Exod.  12  :  38  as  accompanying  the  Israelites 
from  Egypt.  These  people,  being  less  uplifted 
and  sustained  by  the  religious  hopes  of  the 


nation,  would  be  the  first  to  be  discontented. 
Their  dissatisfaction  seems  to  have  infected  the 
Israelites  themselves,  so  that  they  returned  and 
wept,  i.  e.,  perhaps  repeated  the  murmurings 
mentioned  in  Exod.  16  :  2,  3.  A  sort  of  nervous 
contagion,  such  as  sometimes  mysteriously 
sweeps  through  crowds,  seems  to  have  produced 
a  general  hysteria,  so  that  the  noise  of  weeping 
could  be  heard  from  every  tent  like  a  universal 
cry  (ver.  10).  It  was  not  the  fear  of  starvation 
this  time,  as  at  Exod.  16,  leading  them  to  re- 
member the  substantial  food  of  Egypt,  but  a 
distaste  for  the  monotony  of  their  single  divinely 
sent  staple,  making  them  long  inordinately  for 
flesh  and  fish  and  fresh  vegetables.  On  another 
occasion  they  expressed  it,  "Our  soul  loatheth 
this  light  bread"  (21  :  5).  The  Nile  in  Egypt 
is  said  to  abound  in  fish,  and  the  cucumbers 
and  melons  in  that  country  are  particularly 
choice,  and  the  onions  mild  and  appetizing. 
The  writer  takes  occasion  to  describe  the  manna 
and  its  method  of  pi-eparation  somewhat  more 
in  detail  than  in  Exod.  16  :  31.  In  both  places  it 
is  described  as  like  coriander  seed ;  in  Exodus  it 
is  said  to  have  been  white  in  color,  and  here  to 
have  been  in  appearance  like  bdellium,  a  sub- 
stance mentioned  in  Gen.  2  :  12,  but  not  well 
known.    The  manna  appears  to  have  been  a  dry 


Ch.  XL] 


NUMBERS 


47 


13  Whence  should  I  have  flesh  to  give  unto  all 
this  people  ?  for  they  weep  unto  me,  saying,  Give 
us  flesh,  that  we  may  eat. 

14  I  am  not  able  to  bear  all  this  people  alone,  be- 
cause it  is  too  lieavy  for  me. 

15  And  if  thou  deal  thus  with  me,  kill  me,  I  pray 
thee,  out  of  hand,  if  I  have  found  favour  in  thy 
sight ;  and  let  me  not  see  my  wretchedness. 

16  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Gather  unto  me 
seventy  men  of  the  elders  of  Israel,  whom  thou 
knowest  to  be  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  officers 
over  them  ;  and  bring  them  unto  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  that  they  may  stand  there  with 
thee. 

17  And  I  will  come  down  and  talk  with  thee 
there :  and  I  will  take  of  the  spirit  which  is  upon 
thee,  and  will  put  it  upon  tliem ;  and  they  shall 
bear  the  burden  of  the  people  with  thee,  that  thou 
bear  it  not  thyself  alone. 

18  And  say  thou  unto  the  people.  Sanctify  your- 
selves against  to  morrow,  and  ye  shall  eat  flesh : 
for  ye  have  wept  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord,  saying. 
Who  shall  give  us  tlesh  to  eat?  for  it  was  well  with 
us  in  Egypt :  therefore  the  Lord  will  give  you  flesh, 
and  ye  shall  eat. 

19  Ye  shall  not  eat  one  day,  nor  two  days,  nor 
five  days,  neither  ten  days,  nor  twenty  days  ; 

20  But  even  a  whole  month,  until  it  come  out  at 
your  nostrils,  and  it  be  loathsome  unto  you:  be- 
cause that  ye  liave  despised  tlie  Lord  which  is 
among  you,  and  have  wept  before  him,  saying, 
Why  came  we  forth  out  of  Egypt? 

21  And  Moses  said,  The  people,  among  whom  I 
am,  are  six  hundred  thousand  footmen  ;  and  thou 
hast  said,  I  will  give  them  flesh,  that  they  may  eat 
a  whole  month. 

22  Shall  the  flocks  and  the  herds  be  slain  for 
them,  to  suffice  them?  or  shall  all  the  fish  of  the 
sea  be  gathered  together  for  them,  to  suffice  them  ? 


13  thou  swarest  unto  their  fathers?  Whence  should 
I  have  flesh  to  give  unto  all  this  people?  for 
they  weep  unto  me,  saying.  Give  us  flesh,  that 

14  we  may  eat.    1  am  not  able  to  bear  all  this  peo- 

15  pie  alone,  because  it  is  too  heavy  for  me.  And 
if  thou  deal  thus  with  me,  kill  me,  I  pray  thee, 
out  of  hand,  if  I  have  found  favour  iu  thy  sight ; 
and  let  me  not  see  my  wretchedness. 

16  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Gather  unto 
me  seventy  men  of  the  elders  of  Israel,  whom 
thou  knowest  to  be  the  elders  of  the  people, 
and  officers  over  them ;  and  bring  them  unto 
the  tent  of  meeting,  that  they  may  stand  there 

17  with  thee.  And  I  will  come  down  and  talk  with 
thee  there :  and  I  will  take  of  the  spirit  which 
is  upon  thee,  and  will  put  it  upon  them  ;  and 
they  shall  bear  the  burden  of  the  people  with 

18  thee,  tliat  tliou  bear  it  not  thyself  alone.  And 
say  thou  unto  the  people,  teanctify  yourselves 
against  to-morrow,  and  ye  shall  eat  flesh  :  for  ye 
have  wept  in  tlie  ears  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Wlio 
shall  give  us  flesh  to  eat  ?  for  it  was  well  with 
us  in  Egypt:  therefore  the  Lord  will  give  you 

19  flesh,  and  ye  shall  eat.  Ye  shall  not  eat  one 
day,  nor  two  days,  nor  five  days,  neither  ten 

20  days,  nor  twenty  days ;  but  a  whole  month, 
until  it  come  out  at  your  nostrils,  and  it  be 
loathsome  unto  you :  because  that  ye  have  re- 
jected the  Lord  which  is  among  you,  and  have 
wept  before  him,  saying.  Why  came  we  forth 

21  out  of  Egypt?  And  Moses  said.  The  people, 
among  whom  I  am,  are  six  hundred  thousand 
footmen  ;  and  thou  hast  said,  I  will  give  them 

22  flesh,  that  they  may  eat  a  whole  month.  Shall 
flocks  and  herds  be  slain  for  them,  to  suffice 
them  ?  or  shall  all  the  fish  of  the  sea  be  gathered 
together  for  them,  to  suffice  them  ? 


enough  substance  so  that  it  could  be  reduced  to 
meal  and  baked,  tasting,  it  is  said,  like  a  "  moist 
cake  of  oil."  The  description  is  probably  intro- 
duced to  show  the  unreasonableness  of  complaint, 
at  least  on  the  ground  of  its  unpleasantness. 

The  patience  of  Moses  was  sorely  tried,  and 
he  seems  to  have  felt  a  sort  of  disgust  for  his 
task,  as  if  it  were  that  of  taking  care  of  a  lot  of 
babies.  His  complaint  takes  the  form  of  re- 
monstrance with  Jehovah  for  thus  subjecting 
him  to  a  kind  and  degree  of  penance  to  which 
death  were  preferable.  It  is  especially  in  view 
of  the  apparently  impossible  demand  that  he 
should  provide  the  multitude  with  flesh  that 
he  is  thrown  into  perplexity  ;  and  the  burden 
of  the  whole  people,  which  to  his  overtaxed 
mind  seems  to  rest  upon  him  alone,  impresses 
him  as  too  heavy  for  him  to  bear. 

16-22*  The  appointment  of  elders  to  assist 
Moses  seems  to  have  been  a  fascinating  subject 
to  the  Hebrew  narrators,  as  it  recurs  in  several 
places  and  in  connection  with  various  exigen- 
cies. Twice  the  elders  are  spoken  of  as  appointed 
for  secular  judges,  and  twice  they  are  summoned 
to  be  brought  into  touch  with  the  greater  super- 
natural manifestations  of  Jehovah's  presence. 
In  Exod.  18  the  appointment  of  elders  to  be 
subordinate  rulers  and  judges  is  represented  as 
being  suggested  by  Jethro  on  the  occasion  of  his 


visit  to  Moses  to  bring  him  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, though  in  Deuteronomy  (i  =  a-is)  Moses 
speaks  as  if  he  made  the  request  for  such  a  col- 
lege of  assistants  of  his  own  accord.  On  the  one 
other  occasion  besides  this  on  which  the  num- 
ber seventy  is  specified  (Excd.  24)  the  elders  ac- 
companied Moses  into  Mount  Sinai  and  saw  the 
glory  of  Jehovah,  in  some  such  way  as  the 
seventy  are  impressed  to  ecstasy  with  his  glory 
here.  Evidently  the  help  which  Moses  needed, 
and  which  was  held  out  to  him  on  this  occasion, 
is  not  simply  a  relieving  him  of  detail  work, 
but  such  a  participation  in  and  sympathy  with 
his  inner  life  as  should  lighten  that  awful  sense 
of  loneliness  which  was  the  principal  ground  of 
his  complaint.  Something  of  his  spirit  was  to 
be  put  upon  them  (ver.  17),  so  that  they  could 
mentally  bear  his  burden  with  him.  Sometimes 
mental  or  spiritual  sympathy  is  worth  far  more 
than  routine  help,  even  though  it  perform  no 
act  of  assistance.  The  precise  official  functions 
of  these  elders  are  obscure ;  but  it  is  quite  evi- 
dent that  they  did  not  form  a  permanent  body 
which  was  continued  through  the  history  of  the 
nation  and  revived  in  the  Sanhedrin  after  the 
exile,  as  the  Talmudists  and  the  rabbins  imagine. 
As  for  the  people,  Moses  is  directed  to  issue 
orders  that  they  sanctify  or  prepare  themselves 
by  ceremonial  purifications  for  the   morrow, 


48 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XL 


23  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Is  the  Lord's 
hand  waxed  short  '•  thou  shalt  see  now  whether 
my  word  shall  come  to  pass  unto  thee  or  not. 

24  And  Moses  went  out,  and  told  the  people  the 
words  of  the  Lord,  and  gathered  the  seventy  men 
of  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  set  them  round 
about  the  tabernacle. 

25  And  the  Lord  came  down  in  a  cloud,  and 
spake  unto  him,  and  took  of  the  spirit  that  was 
upon  him,  and  gave  it  unto  the  seventy  elders :  and 
it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  the  spirit  rested  upon 
them,  they  prophesied,  and  did  not  cease. 

26  But  there  remained  two  of  the  men  in  the 


23  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Is  the  Lord's 
hand  waxed  short?  now  shalt  thou  see  whether 
my  word  shall  come  to  pass  unto  thee  or  not. 

24  And  Moses  went  out,  and  told  the  people  the 
words  of  the  Lord  :  and  he  gathered  seventy 
men  of  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  set  them 

25  round  about  the  Tent.  And  the  Lord  came 
down  in  the  cloud,  and  spake  unto  him,  and 
took  of  the  spirit  that  was  upon  him,  and  put  it 
upon  the  seventy  elders :  and  it  came  to  pass, 
that,  when  the  spirit  rested   upon  them,  they 

26  prophesied,  but  they  did  so  no  more.    But  there 


with  the  half-promise,  half-threat,  that  they 
shall  eat  flesh  for  a  whole  month  of  days,  until 
it  comes  out  of  their  nostrils  and  becomes  loath- 
some to  them.  How  this  prediction  shall  be 
fulfilled  is  as  mysterious  to  Moses  as  to  the  rest 
of  the  people,  so  that  in  a  bewildered  way  he 
casts  about  in  his  mind  for  some  conceivable 
means  by  which  it  could  possibly  be  accom- 
plished (ver.  21,22). 

23-35.  After  being  reminded  of  the  power 
of  Jehovah  and  enjoined  to  hold  himself  in  read- 
iness for  a  manifestation  of  it,  Moses  goes  out  of 
the  tent  and  reports  Jehovah's  words  to  the 
people.  Then  according  to  directions  he  as- 
sembles seventy  of  the  elders  of  the  people  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  sanctuary.  The  glory- 
cloud  begins  to  descend.  Nearer  and  nearer  it 
comes,  overspreading  their  sky,  enveloping 
them  with  an  impressive  obscuration,  filling 
them  with  awe  as  it  isolates  them  from  all  their 
visible  surroundings.  Of  another  company  in 
New  Testament  times,  similarly  overshadowed 
with  a  cloud  of  glory,  it  was  written,  "They 
feared  as  they  entered  into  the  cloud  "  (Lui^e  9  : 
3*).  Presently  the  cloud,  as  often  before,  be- 
came communicative  to  Moses  ;  and  now  all  at 
once  the  seventy,  through  some  electrical  thrill 
of  sympathy,  were  penetrated  by  a  marvelous 
sense  of  the  divine  greatness,  and  in  the  intens- 
est  excitement  they  began  to  speak  what  they 
felt.  Moses'  spirit  was  communicated  to  them, 
not  by  the  ordinary  means  of  inculcation,  that 
is,  articulate  speech  and  believing  assent,  but 
by  a  transfer  of  his  mental  standpoint  to  their 
consciousness,  so  that  they  perceived  spiritual 
truth  directly,  as  he  did.  The  moment  they 
were  raised  to  Moses'  point  of  view  their  unac- 
customed souls  were  excited  to  the  point  of 
ecstasy.  The  account  says  (ver.  25)  that  they 
prophesied,  but  "did  not  add,"  i.  e.,  did  not 
continue  to  speak  ecstatically  (see  r.  v.).  This 
perhaps  does  not  imply  that  they  soon  lost  their 
new  perception  of  truth,  but  rather  that  after 
becoming  more  accustomed  to  the  new  and 
wonderful  outlook  they  took  the  experience 
more  sanely,  having  developed  into  elevated 


and  spiritually  minded  men  who  could  be  a 
genuine  help  and  reliance  for  Moses  in  dealing 
with  the  discontented  people. 

In  this  early  manifestation  of  a  phenomenon 
destined  to  become  characteristic  of  Hebrew  re- 
ligion, we  have  an  indication  of  the  essential  na- 
ture of  all  prophecy.  The  prophet  is  raised  above 
the  realm  of  faith  into  the  realm  of  sight ;  but  the 
sight  of  God,  be  it  observed,  is  not  a  sight  which 
tends  to  picturableness  in  terms  of  visible  form, 
but  a  sight  which  tends  to  formulableness  in 
terms  of  speech.  The  self-revealed  God  is  a 
Word.  God's  formula,  sym"5ol,  or  in  Bible 
language  his  name,  is  all  the  sight  of  God  that 
is  revealable  to  human  perception  (cf.  Exod.  33 : 
18,  19 ;  34 : 5,  seq.).  Hcucc  dircct  perception  of  God 
issues  in  speech,  unstudied,  compelled,  impul- 
sive, or  ecstatic,  according  to  the  degree  of 
nervous  excitement  which  the  perception  in- 
duces. A  historical  note  in  regard  to  the 
prophet  as  a  character  (see  i  sam.  9  :  9)  chronicles 
the  fact  that  he  was  at  first  described  by  his 
mental  status  and  power  as  a  seer,  but  after- 
ward by  his  characteristic  habit  of  impulsive 
speaking  as  a  i^'^J,  nabi,  or  prophet.  It 
hardly  needs  to  be  said  that  prophesying  is  not 
necessarily,  or  even  predominantly,  a  foretell- 
ing of  future  events,  but  simply  a  speaking 
forth  of  the  things  of  God  from  direct  percep- 
tion. If  it  seem  a  matter  of  regret  that  so  small 
a  portion  of  the  truth  perceived  by  the  Scrip- 
ture characters  who  were  on  various  occasions 
prophetically  endowed  is  preserved  for  the  use 
of  the  world,  it  is  worthy  of  being  pointed  out 
that  probably  only  the  low^est  stratum  of  such 
truth  is  capable  of  being  brought  within  the 
realm  of  ordinary  inculcation  so  as  to  be  laid 
hold  of  by  assent  or  faith.  Only  that  part 
of  prophetic  truth  becomes  useful  for  common 
guidance  which  can  commend  itself  to  the  or- 
dinary sense  of  value  by  attaching  itself  to  some 
practical  issue  of  life.  The  heavenly  words 
which  Paul  heard  it  was  not  possible  or  lawful 
to  utter  (2  Cor.  12  :  4). 

Two  of  the  men  (ver.  26)  included  in  the  writ- 
ten list — which  must  have  comprised  seventy- 


Ch.  XL] 


NUMBERS 


49 


camp,  the  name  of  the  one  was  Eldad,  and  the 
name  of  the  other  Medad  :  and  the  spirit  rested 
upon  them  ;  and  they  ivere  of  them  that  were 
\vritten,  but  went  not  out  unto  the  tabernacle  :  and 
they  prophesied  in  the  camp. 

27  And  there  ran  a  young  man,  and  told  Moses, 
and  said,  Eldad  and  Medad  do  prophesy  in  the 
camp. 

28  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  the  servant  of 
Moses,  one  of  his  young  men,  answered  and  said, 
My  lord  Moses,  forbid  them. 

29  And  Moses  said  unto  him,  Enviest  thou  for 
my  sake?  would  God  that  all  the  Lord's  people 
were  prophets,  and  that  the  Lord  would  put  his 
spirit  upon  them ! 

30  And  Moses  gat  him  into  the  camp,  he  and  the 
elders  of  Israel. 

31  And  there  went  forth  a  wind  from  the  Lord, 
and  brought  quails  from  the  sea,  and  let  them  fall 
by  the  camp,  as  it  were  a  day's  journey  on  this 
side,  and  as  it  were  a  day's  journey  on  the  other 
side,  round  about  the  camp,  and  as  it  were  two 
cubits  high  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

32  And  the  people  stood  up  all  that  day,  and  all 
that  night,  and  all  the  next  day,  and  they  gathered 
the  quails:  he  that  gathered  least  gathered  ten 
homers :  and  they  spread  them  all  abroad  for  them- 
selves round  about  the  camp. 

33  And  while  the  flesh  ivas  yet  between  their 
teeth,  ere  it  was  chewed,  the  wrath  of  the  Lord 


remained  two  men  in  the  camp,  the  name  of  the 
one  was  Eldad,  and  the  name  of  the  other 
Medad :  and  the  spirit  rested  upon  them ;  and 
they  were  of  them  that  were  written,  but  had 
not  gone  out  unto  the  Tent :  and  they  prophesied 

27  in  the  camp.  And  there  ran  a  young  man,  and 
told  Moses,   and   said,   Eldad    and    Medad   do 

28  prophesy  in  the  camp.  And  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  the  minister  of  Moses,  one  of  his  chosen 
men,  answered  and  said.  My  lord  Moses,  forbid 

29  them.  And  Moses  said  unto  him.  Art  thou 
jealous  for  my  sake?  would  God  that  all  tlie 
Lord's   people    were   prophets,   that   the    Lord 

30  would  put  his  spirit  upon  them !  And  M(jses 
gat  him  into  the  camp,  he  and  the  elders  of 

31  Israel.  And  there  went  forth  a  wind  from  the 
Lord,  and  brought  quails  from  the  sea,  and  let 
them  fall  by  the  camp,  about  a  day's  journey  on 
this  side,  and  a  day's  journey  on  the  other  side, 
round  about  the  camp,  and  about  two  cubits 

32  above  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  the  people 
rose  up  all  that  day,  and  all  the  night,  and  all 
the  next  day,  and  gathered  the  quails  :  he  that 
gathered  least  gathered  ten  homers :  and  they 
spread  them  all  abroad  for  themselves  round 

33  about  the  camp.  While  the  flesh  was  yet  be- 
tween their  teeth,  ere  it  was  chewed,  the  anger 


two,  perhaps  six  to  a  tribe — had  for  some  reason 
not  gone  to  the  tent  of  meeting  with  the  other 
seventy ;  and  yet  these  men  were  infected  with 
the  same  spirit  and  began  to  attract  attention  by 
prophesying  in  the  camp.  This  breaking  out 
of  the  higher  manifestations  of  religion  amid 
commonplace  and  secular  surroundings  was  in- 
pressively  noticeable,  and  with  the  idea  that 
something  was  wrong  a  young  man  without 
loss  of  time  ran  to  inform  Moses.  Joshua,  the 
son  of  Nun,  Moses'  attendant  from  his  youth 

(ver.  28,   see   R.  V.    Margin) ^  -who  WaS  with    MoSCS   at 

the  tabernacle  and  had  seen  the  whole  specta- 
cle of  the  seventy,  which  to  the  eye  of  his  de- 
lighted loyalty  so  enhanced  the  glory  of  his 
master,  could  not  bear  an  outbreak  so  irregular 
and  so  independent  of  constituted  authority  as 
this  of  Eldad  and  Medad.  Joshua's  instincts 
Avere  military  (cf.  Exod.  32  :  17),  and  along  with 
the  tactician's  sense  of  Moses'  prerogative,  there 
was  also  in  his  mental  make-up  a  certain  de- 
ficiency which  prevented  him  from  realizing 
the  superiority  of  the  free  spirit  to  tactical  com- 
mands. He  would  have  had  his  master  suppress 
the  irregular  manifestation,  even  of  the  divine 
Spirit.  To  his  mind  everything  from  God  must 
come  through  Moses.  It  is  the  old  conflict,  al- 
ways cropping  out  because  there  are  always  op- 
posite sorts  of  mind,  between  the  sense  for  order 
and  the  sense  for  freedom.  Moses,  who  was  him- 
self suiiiciently  insistent  on  orderly  methods 
(cf.  com.  on  Lev.  10  :  16-20)  ^  was  nevertheless  so  fully 
inspired,  and  withal  so  meek,  as  to  rejoice  in 
whatever  indicated  God's  presence  with  his 
people,  even  though  it  was  apparently  inde- 


pendent of  his  initiative.  He  could  wish  that 
the  spiritual  perception  and  free  utterance  of 
Eldad  and  Medad  were  universal.  As  Dill- 
mann  remarks:  "It  is  the  highest  goal  of  the 
church  of  which  Moses  has  here  a  glimpse  (es- 
sentially according  to  John  3),  and  to  attain 
this  goal  is  the  true  man's  highest  wish,  not  the 
defending  of  his  personal  honor." 

The  meeting  at  the  tabernacle  being  broken 
up,  and  Moses  having  returned  to  the  camp, 
there  followed  the  fulfillment  of  Jehovah's 
second  promise.  A  strong  wind,  called  a  wind 
from  Jehovah,  and  in  Ps.  78  :  26  designated  as  a 
southeast  wind,  brought  a  flock  of  quails  from 
the  direction  of  the  Elanitic  gulf  and  spread 
them  over  the  camp,  flying  about  two  cubits 
above  the  earth  and  covering  the  space  of  a 
day's  journey  in  each  direction.  This  seems  to 
be  the  meaning  of  ver.  31,  rather  than  that 
they  fell  in  solid  heaps  two  cubits  high,  as  the 
Authorized  version  seems  to  imply.  The  quail 
is  said  to  hang  upon  the  wind  in  its  flying,  and 
when  wearied  it  flies  low,  so  that  these  birds 
could  easily  be  grasped.  Many  of  them  no 
doubt  also  fell  to  the  ground  from  exhaustion. 
The  people  fell  to  with  the  utmost  eagerness, 
and  gathered  and  dressed  quails  all  that  day 
and  night  and  the  next  day,  so  that  ten  chomers, 
or  fifty  to  sixty  bushels,  was  accounted  a  small 
portion.  No  doubt  they  ate  greedily  during 
this  time,  and  yet  unable  to  make  use  of  them 
all  while  they  were  fresh  the  people  spread  them 
out  to  dry  in  the  sun  all  about  the  camp.  Their 
unrestrained  greediness,  after  so  long  a  period 
of  comparative  abstinence,  brought  on  its  con- 


D 


50 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  Xll. 


was  kindled  against  the  people,  and  the  Lord  smote 
the  people  witli  a  very  great  plague. 

34  And  he  called  the  name  of  that  place  Kib- 
roth-hattaavah :  because  there  they  buried  the 
people  that  lusted. 

35  And  the  people  journeyed  from  Kibroth-hatta- 
avah  unto  Hazeroth  ;  and  abode  at  Hazeroth. 


of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  the  people,  and 
the  Lord  smote  the  people  with  a  very  great 

34  plague.  And  the  name  of  that  place  was  called 
Kibroth-hattaavah  :   because  there  they  buried 

35  the  people  that  lusted .  From  Kibroth-hattaavah 
the  people  journeyed  unto  Hazeroth  ;  and  they 
abode  at  Hazeroth. 


CHAPTER     XII 


1  AND  Miriam  and  Aaron  spake  against  Moses 
because  of  the  Ethiopian  woman  whom  he  had 
married  :  for  he  had  married  an  Ethiopian  woman. 

2  And  they  said,  hath  the  Lord  indeed  spoken 
only  by  Moses?  liath  he  not  spoken  also  by  us? 
And  the  Lord  heard  it. 

3  (Now  the  man  Moses  was  very  meek,  above  all 
the  men  which  were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.) 


AND  Miriam  and  Aaron  spake  against  Moses 
because  of  the  Cushite  woman  whom  he  had 
married  :  for  he  had  married  a  Cushite  woman. 
And  they  said,  Hath  the  Lord  indeed  spoken 
only  with  Moses?  hath  he  not  spoken  also  with 
us?  And  the  Lord  heard  it.  Now  the  man  Mo- 
ses was  very  meek,  above  all  the  men  which 


sequences  of  disgust  and  deathly  sickness,  so 
that  in  many  instances  people  died  with  their 
mouths  full  (ver.  33).  The  great  pestilence 
which  followed  was  attributed  to  the  anger  of 
Jehovah ;  and  so  many  were  the  graves  of  those 
that  died  that  the  place  was  called  Kibroth- 
Hattaawah,  or  Graves  of  Greediness. 

The  next  stopping-place  after  Kibroth-Hat- 
taawali,  where  they  must  have  stayed  at  least  a 
month,  was  a  place  called  Hazeroth,  a  name 
meaning,  "fenced  enclosures."  Attempts  to 
identify  the  place  with  Haderah,  which  is 
apparently  too  far  east,  or  with  El  Ain,  are 
conjectures  carrying  little  or  no  certainty,  as 
the  name  Hazeroth  is  one  that  could  be  applied 
to  many  places. 


Chap.  12.  Rebellion  of  Miriam  and 
Aaron  against  Moses,  and  Miriam's  lep- 
rosy. 1-9.  Miriam  is  called  in  Exod.  15  :  20 
"  the  prophetess,  the  sister  of  Aaron,"  and  she 
is  mentioned  in  Micah  6  :  4  as  one  of  the  three 
leaders  of  Israel  from  Egypt.  She  was  no  doubt 
the  sister  who  watched  the  infant  Moses  Avhen 
he  was  placed  in  the  flags  by  the  river,  and  pro- 
cured the  mother  as  his  nurse  when  he  was  dis- 
covered (Exod.  2  :  7,  8),  The  promiucnce giveu  to 
Miriam  in  this  chapter,  and  the  emphasis  put 
upon  prophecy  as  a  source  of  honor,  have  led 
modern  critics  quite  unanimously  to  assign  this 
chapter  to  the  source  called  E.  The  Cushite  or 
Ethiopian  woman  cannot  have  been  the  same 
as  the  Midianite  Zipporah  (see  e.\o<i.  2  :  21),  styled 
an  Ethiopian  by  Miriam  in  contempt  and  be- 
cause of  her  dark  skin,  for  the  author  takes 
pains  to  add  the  explanation — omitted,  how- 
ever, in  the  Vulgate — "  for  he  had  married  a 
Cushite  woman."  It  is  supposed  that  Zipporah 
had  died  and  Moses  had  married  a  new  wnfe, 
though  there  is  no  other  mention  of  this  fact ; 
and  the  supposition  requires  that  all  this  bereave- 
ment and  readjustment  of  Moses'  domestic  re- 
lations took  place  with  a  considerable  degree  of 


expedition,  for  it  was  but  a  short  while  since 
Zipporah  was  alive  and  well  (Exod.  is :  2).  Jose- 
phus  and  the  Targum  of  Jonathan  preserve  the 
tradition  that  Moses,  while  still  a  prince  of 
Egypt  and  previous  to  his  flight  to  Midian, 
married  the  Ethiopian  princess  of  Meroe  (Jos., 
Ant.,  II.,  10  :2),  but  it  is  difiicult  to  see,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  further  detail,  how  that  fact  should  start 
up  an  outbreak  at  this  late  day.  The  whole 
biblical  account  of  the  early  domestic  relations 
of  Moses  is  so  full  of  omissions  and  apparent 
redactional  glosses  as  to  render  the  precise  facts 
very  obscure.  What  relation  Moses'  marriage 
had  to  his  preeminence  as  the  medium  for  the 
divine  revelations  is  not  clear.  All  we  can  see 
is  that  Miriam's  irritation  and  perhaps  out- 
raged national  pride  at  Moses'  domestic  arrange- 
ments issued  in  an  attack  on  his  assumed  ex- 
clusiveness  in  exercising  the  prophetic  function. 
That  attack  appears  to  have  been  nothing 
else  but  an  expression  of  pure  envy.  Miriam 
was  looking  only  at  the  honor  of  being  a  recog- 
nized prophet — an  honor  which  in  Moses'  case 
had  received  great  augmentation  by  recent 
events.  This  honor  was  the  last  thing  in  Moses' 
thoughts.  So  noticeably  indeed  was  this  the 
case  that  the  author  says  Moses  was  the  meekest 
of  men  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  Far  from 
his  mind  was  it  to  claim  that  the  Lord  had 
spoken  only  by  him.  Even  Eldad's  and 
Medad's  prophesying  in  the  camp,  so  irregular 
as  to  seem  to  many  an  irreverent  procedure, 
was  welcomed  by  Moses  with  the  wish  that  such 
things  might  be  general.  All  that  Miriam 
needed  in  order  to  get  everything  she  was  claim- 
ing was  to  go  to  work  and  prophesy ;  Moses 
would  have  been  as  glad  to  see  the  gift  in  her  as 
in  any  of  the  rest  of  the  Lord's  people.  It  looks 
as  if  Miriam's  prophetic  gift  which  she  had  once 
exercised  was  no  longer  active,  but  had  sunk 
into  a  memory  and  a  claim.  She  was  taking 
the  course  which  has  again  and  again  been 
taken  in  the  church  in  all  ages :   instead  of 


Ch.  XII.] 


NUMBERS 


51 


4  And  the  Lord  spake  suddenly  unto  Moses,  and 
unto  Aaron,  and  unto  Miriam,  Come  out  ye  tliree 
unto  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation.  And  tliey 
three  came  out. 

5  And  the  Lord  came  down  in  the  pillar  of  the 
cloud,  and  stood  in  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
called  Aaron  and  Miriam:  and  they  both  came 
forth. 

6  And  he  said,  Hear  now  my  words:  If  there  be 
a  prophet  among  you,  1  the  Lord  will  make  myself 
known  unto  him  in  a  vision,  and  will  speak  unto 
him  in  a  dream. 

7  My  servant  Moses  is  not  so,  who  is  faithful  in 
all  mine  house. 

8  With  him  will  I  speak  mouth  to  mouth,  even 
apparently,  and  not  in  dark  speeches ;  and  the 
similitude  of  the  Lord  shall  he  behold:  wherefore 
then  were  ye  not  afraid  to  speak  against  my  servant 
Mfjses  ? 

9  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against 
them  ;  and  he  departed. 

10  And  the  cloud  departed  from  off  the  taber- 
nacle ;  and,  behold,  Miriam  became  leprous,  white 
as  snow :  and  Aaron  looked  upon  Miriam,  and,  be- 
hold, she  was  leprous. 

11  And  Aaron  said  unto  Moses,  Alas,  my  lord,  I 
beseech  thee,  lay  not  the  sin  upon  us,  wherein  we 
have  done  foolLshly,  and  wherein  we  have  sinned. 

12  Let  her  not  be  as  one  dead,  of  whom  the  flesh 
is  half  consumed  when  he  cometh  out  of  his  moth- 
er's womb. 

13  And  Moses  cried  unto  the  Lord,  saying,  Heal 
her  now,  O  God,  I  beseech  thee. 

14  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  If  her  father 
had  but  spit  in  her  face,  should  she  not  be  ashamed 
seven  days  ?  let  her  be  shut  out  from  the  camp  seven 
days,  and  after  that  let  her  be  received  in  again. 


4  were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  the  Lord 
spake  suddenly  unto  Moses,  and  unto  Aaron, 
and  unto  Miriam,  Come  out  ye  three  unto  the 
tent  of    meeting.      And   they  three  came  out, 

5  And  the  Lord  came  down  in  a  pillar  of  cloud, 
and  stood  at  the  door  of  the  Tent,  and  called 
Aaron  and  Miriam :  and  they  both  came  forth. 

6  And  he  said.  Hear  now  my  words :  If  there  be  a 
prophet  among  you,  I  the  Lord  will  make  my- 
self known  unto  him  in  a  vision,  1  will  speak 

7  with  him  in  a  dream.    My  servant  Moses  is  not 

8  so ;  he  is  faithful  in  all  mine  house:  with  him 
will  I  speak  mouth  to  mouth,  even  manifestly, 
and  not  in  dark  speeches ;  and  the  form  of  the 
Lord  shall  he  behold :  wherefore  then  were  ye 
not  afraid  to  speak  against  my  servant,  against 

9  Moses?    And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled 

10  against  them  ;  and  he  departed.  And  the  cloud 
removed  from  over  the  Tent ;  and,  behold,  Mir- 
iam was  leprous,  as  white  as  snow :  and  Aaron 
looked  upon  Miriam,  and,  behc^ld,  she  was  lep- 

11  rous.  And  Aaron  said  unto  Moses,  Oh  my  lord, 
lay  not,  I  pray  thee,  sin  upon  us,  for  that  we 
have   done    foolishly,   and    for   that    we    have 

12  sinned.  Let  her  not,  I  pray,  be  as  one  dead,  of 
whom  the  flesh  is  half  consumed  when  he  com- 

13  eth  out  of  his  mother's  womb.  And  Moses  cried 
unto  the  Lord,  saying.  Heal  her,  O  God,  I  be- 

14  seech  thee.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  If 
her  father  had  but  spit  in  her  face,  should  she 
not  be  ashamed  seven  days?  let  her  be  shut  up 
without  the  camp  seven  days,  and  after  that  she 


gaining  preeminence  by  the  way  which  is  always 
open  to  every  one — the  way  of  preeminent  use- 
fulness— she  was  holding  back  and  accusing  the 
one  who  had  found  that  way  and  its  reward  of 
arrogating  an  exclusive  dignity  to  himself.  As 
for  Aaron,  he  appears  to  have  been  a  weak  echo 
of  his  stronger-minded  sister,  and  not  much  else. 
A  sudden  summons  from  Jehovah  brought 
the  three  to  the  tent  of  meeting.  The  theophanic 
cloud  took  its  stand  at  the  door  of  the  tent ;  and 
there  Aaron  and  Miriam,  like  a  pair  of  culprits 
at  the  bar,  heard  the  divine  explanation  of  the 
difference  between  God's  revelation  to  Moses 
and  that  to  other  prophets.  The  explana- 
tion appears  to  amount  to  this:  the  kind  of 
allocution  of  which  Moses  was  the  organ  con- 
sisted of  truth  communicable  in  plain  language 
and  to  the  intellect  at  its  ordinary  level ;  while 
other  prophets  became  recipients  only  of  com- 
munications adapted  to  dream-states  or  to  sym- 
bolic representation  in  visions,  impressions 
which  make  a  more  ecstatic  seizure  on  the  feel- 
ings. Moses'  kind  of  truth  was  less  showy  be- 
cause less  productive  of  rapture  ;  but  it  was 
really  far  more  important  because  it  was  more 
weighty  with  national  utilities  and  human  moral 
issues.  Moses  is  distinguished  as  being  spoken 
to  for  business;  he  is  the  man  of  affairs  and  of 
responsibility,  this  is  perhaps  what  is  meant 
by,  who   is   faithful   in  all   mine  house 


(ver.  7).  One  somewhat  obscure  addition  is  made 
to  this  description,  the  form  of  Jehovah  shall  he 
behold  (ver.  8) — a  reference  perhaps  to  the  ex- 
perience related  in  Exod.  33  :  17-23.  This 
whole  passage  appears  intended  to  make  the 
highest  claim  as  revelation  for  that  form  of  in- 
spii'ation  which  appears  least  unearthly,  and 
issues  in  prosaic  moral  law  like  the  Pentateuch. 
It  is  largely  on  account  of  this  passage  perhaps 
that  the  Pentateuch  is  regarded  by  Jews  and 
Samaritans  as  the  most  highly  inspired  part  of 
the  Old  Testament  (cf.  com.  on  7 :  89). 

10-16.  Leaving  behind  an  impression  of  the 
divine  anger  the  cloud  removes  from  over  the 
tent,  and  the  terror-stricken  Aaron  turns  and 
beholds  his  sister  a  ghastly,  corpse-like  leper. 
It  is  Moses  whom  he  realizes  they  have  w' ronged ; 
it  is  Moses  in  whom  the  divine  majesty  seems 
almost  to  embody  itself;  and  to  Moses  Aaron 
abjectly  prays  that  te  will  not  count  their  guilt 
against  them  in  that  thejha,yeplayed  the  fool 
(ver.  11)  and  sinned.  He  entreats  that  his  sister, 
whom  under  the  divine  stroke  he  involuntarily 
contemplates  with  horror,  may  not  be  like  a 
corpse  or  like  a  half-decayed,  untimely  stillbirth 
(ver.  12).  Moses,  with  his  characteristic  unself- 
ishness, entreats  the  Lord  that  she  may  be 
healed,  and  it  is  implied  that  this  prayer  is 
answered  at  once.  But  it  is  no  more  than  right 
that,  like  every  restored  leper  (Lev.  14  =  8),  she 


62 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XIII. 


15  And  Miriam  was  shut  out  from  the  camp  seven 
days :  and  the  people  journeyed  not  till  Miriam  was 
brought  iu  again.  ^  r    ^  n 

16  And  afterward  the  people  removed  from  Ha- 
zeroth,  and  pitched  iu  the  wilderness  of  Paran. 


15  shall  be  brought  in  again.  And  Miriam  was 
shut  up  without  the  camp  seven  days  :  and  the 
people  journeyed  not  till  Miriam  was  brought 

16  in  again.  And  afterward  the  people  journeyed 
from  Hazeroth,  and  pitched  in  the  wilderness  of 
Paran. 


shall  undergo  some  penance  of  separation ;  since 
even  if  she  had  experienced  no  more  than  a 
public  expression  of  parental  displeasure  (ver.  u), 
she  would  have  been  humiliated  for  seven  days. 
So  Miriam  w^as  put  outside  of  the  camp,  but  the 
congregation  remained  encamped  in  the  same 
spot  until  the  seven  days  were  finished.  After- 
ward the  people  accomplished  the  final  stage  of 
the  journey  which  was  summarily  described  at 
the  first  mention  of  their  breaking  camp  after 
the  sojourn  at  Sinai  (lo  :  12).  The  station  at 
which  they  are  found  at  the  opening  of  the  next 
chapter  is  Kadesh  (is  =  26),  which  is  mentioned 
as  if  it  were  identical  with,  or  in  the  wilderness 
of  Paran. 

It  is  noteworthy  that,  just  as  the  early  days  of 
the  Christian  church  were  signalized  by  gifts  of 
the  Spirit  manifesting  themselves  in  prophecy 
and  speaking  with  tongues,  so  the  beginning  of 
the  church  life  in  the  wilderness  is  accompanied 
with  an  outbreak  of  prophecy.  But  it  is  in 
connection  with  the  faith  side  of  their  religion 
rather  than  the  mere  institutional  or  law  side 
that  this  upspringing  of  spontaneous  life  occurs. 
When  the  people  once  get  fairly  started  for 
their  land,  and  the  promises  and  prospects  of 
their  divinely  given  home  begin  to  be  accentu- 
ated in  their  lives,  then  it  is  that  they  begin  to 
see  divine  things  for  themselves  and  to  speak 
their  swelling  joys.  Prophecy  always  has  some- 
thing forward-looking  about  it — it  hails  the 
coming  day.  The  faith  in  God's  promises  is 
the  most  natural  soil  on  which  it  can  spring  up  : 
"Received  ye  the  Spirit  by  the  works  of  the 
law,"  says  Paul,  "  or  by  the  hearing  of  faith  ?  " 
(Gal.  3:2.)  Notcwoi'thy  too,  is  the  fact  that  this 
sweetest  blossom  of  religion  difierentiates  itself 
in  its  origin  from,  or  quickly  finds  its  contrast 
with  unspi ritual ity  and  pride.  It  is  the  in- 
tense laying  hold  of  the  promise  in  antagonism 
to  the  gross  unbelief  which. would  fain  go  back 
to  Egypt  for  its  sensual  luxuries  that  predisposes 
the  seventy  for  the  divine  gift  at  the  tabernacle ; 
it  is  the  contrast  and  the  intolerance  of  ofii- 
cialism  which  Eldad  and  Medad  very  promptly 
encounter  in  Joshua,  just  as  spontaneous  relig- 
ion encounters  it  in  every  period  of  the  church. 
Miriam  misapprehends  the  value  of  prophecy 
and  externalizes  and  cheapens  the  conception 
of  it  by  dragging  it,  as  it  were,  into  politics. 
So  the  first  appearance  of  the  gift  in  the  church 


in  the  wilderness  not  only  associates  itself  with 
the  familiar  psychological  conditions  which  al- 
ways accompany  higher  spiritual  insight  and 
rapture,  but  it  very  promptly  encounters  the 
same  foes  of  the  higher  spiritual  liberty,  ofii- 
cialism,  and  worldly  ambition,  which  as  con- 
stant traits  of  human  nature  ever  lie  in  wait  to 
curb  or  cheapen  the  manifestations  of  the  Spirit. 


Chap.  13.  The  dispatch  of  the  spies, 
AND  their  report.  This  chapter  and  the  fol- 
lowing are  to  be  taken  together  as  making  up  one 
narrative,  the  narrative  of  the  spies.  It  is  quite 
unmistakably  a  double  account,  being  composed 
of  two  elements  woven  together,  each  of  w'hich, 
read  continuously,  makes  up  a  nearly  complete 
narrative  and  which  present  the  characteristics 
respectively  of  P  and  JE.  The  composite  char- 
acter of  the  chapters  appears  especially  in  the  fact 
that  one  narrative  frequently  parallels  the  other 
(e.  gf.,  13  :  22  parallels  ver.  21 ;  ver.  32  parallels 
ver.  27-31,  and  14  :  26-35  parallels  ver.  11-25), 
and  also  in  the  fact  that  the  two  accounts  difier  in 
their  representations  of  the  facts.  Thus,  accord- 
ing to  JE  the  spies  go  only  as  far  as  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Hebron  (is  :  22-24)^  while  according 
to  P  they  go  through  the  whole  country  to  the 
far  north  (ver.  21).  In  the  one  account  they  rep- 
resent the  country  on  their  return  as  fertile  but 
too  strongly  defended  for  them  to  conquer  (is : 
27-31)  ;  in  the  other  they  call  it  a  country  that 
"eateth  up  its  inhabitants,"  that  is,  a  country 
too  poor  to  be  worth  taking  ( i3 :  32 ) .  In  JE  Caleb 
alone  stills  the  people  and  is  alone  exempted 
from  the  sentence  of  exclusion  from  Palestine 
(13  :  30 ;  14  :  24)  ;  in  P  Josliua  is  iiicluded  with 
Caleb  in  the  act  of  pacifying  the  people  and  in 
the  exemption  from  the  divine  sentence.  Per- 
haps too,  we  may  trace  to  the  double  character 
of  the  account  the  fact  that  in  some  parts  of  the 
narrative  the  spies  are  represented  as  starting 
out  from  and  returning  to  the  wilderness  of 
Paran  (is  :  3,  26),  while  in  others  the  place  is 
named  as  Kadesh  (is :  26).  In  other  parts  of  the 
Pentateuch  where  this  story  of  the  spies  is  re- 
capitulated (e.  g.,  Num.  32  :  8-13  :  Deut.  1  :  22-45),  the 
narrative  of  JE  seems  to  be  the  one  of  the  two 
in  this  double  chapter  which  is  more  closely 
followed  in  respect  to  the  shortness  of  the  jour- 
ney— ^.  e.,  only  to  Eshcol — and  in  respect  to  the 
characteristic  name  Kadesh-barnea,  as  distin- 


Ch.  XIII. 


NUMBERS 


63 


CHAPTER    XIII 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Send  thou  men,  that  tliey  may  search  the  land 
of  Canaan,  which  I  give  unto  the  children  of  Is- 
rael :  of  every  tribe  of  their  fathers  shall  ye  send  a 
man,  every  one  a  ruler  among  them. 

3  And  Moses  by  the  commandment  of  the  Lord 
sent  them  from  the  wilderness  of  Paran  :  all  those 
men  were  heads  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

4  And  these  were  their  names :  of  the  tribe  of 
Reuben,  Shammua  the  son  of  Zaccur. 

5  Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  Shaphat  the  son  of 
Hori. 

6  Of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh. 

7  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  Igal  the  son  of  Joseph. 

8  Of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  Oshea  the  sou  of  Nun, 

9  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  Palti  the  son  of 
Raphu. 

10  Of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  Gaddiel  the  son  of 
Sodi. 

11  Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  namely,  of  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh,  Gaddi  the  son  of  Susi. 

12  Of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  Ammiel  the  son  of 
Gemalli. 

13  Of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  Sethur  the  son  of 
Michael. 

14  Of  the  tribe  of  Naphtall,  Nahbi  the  son  of 
Vophsi. 

15  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad,  Geuel  the  son  of  Machi. 

16  These  are  the  names  of  the  men  which  Moses 
sent  to  spy  out  the  land.  And  Moses  called  Oshea 
the  son  of  Nun  Jehoshua. 

17  And  Moses  sent  them  to  spy  out  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  said  unto  them.  Get  you  up  this  way 
southward,  and  go  up  into  the  mountain  : 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,   saying, 

2  Send  thou  men,  that  they  may  spy  out  the  laud 
of  Canaan,  which  I  give  unto  the  children  of 
Israel :  of  every  tribe  of  their  fathers  siiall  ye 
send  a  man,  every  one  a  prince  among  them. 

3  And  Moses  sent  them  from  the  wilderness  of 
Paran  according  to  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord :  all  of  them  men  who  were  heads  of  the 

4  children  of  Israel.  And  these  were  their  names  : 
of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  Shammua  the  son  of 

5  Zaccur.    Of  the  tribe  of  Simeon,  Shaphat  the 

6  son  of  Hori.    Of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  Caleb  the 

7  son  of  Jephunneh.    Of  the  tribe  of   Issachar, 

8  Igal  the  son  of  Joseph.    Of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 

9  Hoshea  the  son  of  Nun.     Of  the  tribe  of  Ben- 

10  jamin,  Palti  the  son  of  Raphu.    Of  the  tribe  of 

11  Zebulun,  Gaddiel  the  son  of  Sodi.  Of  the  tribe 
of   Joseph,   vamely,  of  the   tribe  of   Manasseh, 

12  Gaddi  the  son  of   Susi.    Of  the  tribe  of   Dan, 

13  Ammiel  the  son  of  Gemalli.     01   the  tribe  of 

14  Asher,  Sethur  the  son  of  Michael.    Of  the  tribe  of 

15  Naphtali,  Nahbi  the  son  of  Vophsi.    Of  the  tribe 

16  of  Gad,  Geuel  the  son  of  Machi.  These  are  the 
names  of  the  men  which  Moses  sent  to  spy  out 
the  land.    And  Moses  called  Hoshea  the  son  of 

17  Nun  Joshua.  And  Moses  sent  them  to  spy  out 
the  land  of  Canaan,  and  said  unto  them,  Get  you 
up  this  way  by  the  South,  and  go  up  into  the 


guished  from  the  more  general  name,  wilder- 
ness of  Paran,  though  not  in  respect  to  the  in- 
clusion of  Caleb  alone  in  the  exception  to  the 
general  panic.  [It  is,  perhaps,  right  for  the 
general  editor  to  say  that  the  reasons  presented 
by  Doctor  Genung  in  support  of  the  hypothesis 
of  a  "  double  narrative  "  do  not  appear  to  be  con- 
clusive. This  Doctor  Genung  virtually  admits 
in  the  sequel,  suggesting  himself  a  natural  way 
of  accounting  for  the  most  striking  apparent 
discrepancy,  namely,  that  which  relates  to  the 
extent  of  the  exploration  of  the  country  by  the 
spies.    See  comment  on  ver.  21-33. — A.  H.] 

1.  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses.  In 
the  account  of  this  incident  which  is  put  into 
the  mouth  of  Moses  in  Deuteronomy  (oeut.  i  : 
22),  the  idea,  instead  of  emanating  from  the 
Lord,  comes  as  the  suggestion  to  Moses  of 
the  people.  The  direction  of  Jehovah  here  in 
Numbers  is  that  these  men  sent  shall  all  be 
heads  or  princes  of  their  tribes.  The  men  se- 
lected, however,  are  entirely  distinct  from  the 
heads  of  the  tribes  named  in  chap.  1,  2,  though 
Hoshea,  the  representative  here  of  the  tribe  of 
Ephraim,  is  the  grandson  of  Elishama,  the 
prince  at  the  head  of  the  tribal  host  in  chap.  2 
(1  chron.  7  :  26, 27).  None  of  thesc  men,  as  is  fit- 
ting, come  to  any  distinction  so  as  to  be  named 
elsewhere,  except  Caleb  and  Hoshea.  With 
Caleb  this  exploit  was  always  a  proud  reminis- 


cence (Josh,  u  :  6-8),  as  it  brought  him  the  dis- 
tinction of  a  divine  mention  and  promise  (i*  =  24). 
Hoshea  (ver.  le),  unaccountably  spelled  Oshea 
in  the  Authorized  version,  is  here  said  to  be  the 
original  name  of  the  servant  of  Moses  already 
familiarly  known  as  Joshua.  Moses  changed 
his  name  from  Hoshea,  which  means  "salvation" 
or  "  welfare,"  to  Jehoshua  (shortened  in  English 
to  Joshua),  "  Jah  is  salvation"  ;  but  whether  this 
was  done  on  this  occasion  or  earlier,  say  on  the 
more  likely  occasion  of  his  victory  over  Amalek 
(Exod.  17 :  8-13),  we  havc  no  means  of  knowing,  as 
in  all  earlier  mentions  of  his  name  he  already 
appears  as  Joshua,  and  in  only  one  other  place 
(Deut.  32 :  44)  is  he  Called  by  his  original  name. 
17.  These  men  are  directed  by  Moses  to  ascend 
the  mountains  which  here  at  Kadesh  lie  as  a  bar- 
rier between  them  and  their  future  home,  known 
as  the  Amorite  hill  country  (of.  i>eut.  i  :  20), 
and  go  into  the  mountain,  Negeh,  the 
southern  and  least  fertile  part  of  Canaan,  ex- 
tending from  the  south  border  nearly  to  Hebron, 
and  on  into  the  hill  country  of  Judea.  They 
were  to  make  a  thorough  examination  of  the 
land  in  regard  to  its  fertility,  its  inhabitants, 
and  its  military  strength,  and  to  bring  ocular 
demonstration  of  its  characteristics  in  the  form 
of  specimens  of  its  products  (vcr.  20). 

In  ver.  21  we  have  the  story  from  the  P  source, 
the  same  as  that  from  which  the  first  sixteen 


54 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XIII. 


18  And  see  the  land,  what  it  is;  and  the  people 
that  dwelleth  therein,  whether  they  be  strong  or 
weak,  few  or  many  ; 

19  And  what  the  land  is  that  they  dwell  m, 
whether  it  be  good  or  bad  ;  and  what  cities  they  be 
that  they  dwell  in,  whether  iu  tents,  or  in  strong 
holds  ;  .   ^    ,  , 

20  And  what  the  land  is,  whether  it  be  fat  or  lean, 
whether  there  be  wood  therein,  or  not.  And  be  ye 
of  good  courage,  and  bring  of  the  fruit  of  the  land. 
Now  the  time  was  the  time  of  the  flrstripe  grapes. 

21  So  they  went  up,  and  searched  the  land  from 
the  wilderness  of  Ziu  unto  Rehob,  as  men  come  to 
Hamath. 

22  And  they  ascended  by  the  south,  and  came 
unto  Hebron  ;  where  Ahiman,  Sheshai,  and  Talmai, 
the  children  of  Anak,  were.  (Now  Hebron  was 
built  seven  years  before  Zoan  in  Egypt.) 

23  And  they  came  unto  the  brook  of  Eshcol,  and 
cut  down  from  thence  a  branch  with  one  cluster  of 
grapes,  and  they  bare  it  between  two  upon  a  staff ; 
and  they  brought  of  the  pomegranates,  and  of  the  tigs. 

24  The  place  was  called  the  brook  Eshcol,  be- 
cause of  the  cluster  of  grapes  which  the  children 
of  Israel  cut  down  from  thence. 


18  mountains :  and  see  the  land,  what  it  is ;  and 
the  people  that  dwelleth  therein,  whether  they 
be  strong  or  weak,  whether  they  be  few  or  many  ; 

19  and  what  the  land  is  that  they  dwell  in,  whether 
it  be  good  or  bad  ;  and  what  cities  they  be  that 
they  dwell  in,  whether  in  camps,  or  in  strong 

20  holds;  and  what  the  land  is,  whether  it  be  fat 
or  lean,  whether  there  be  wood  therein,  or  not. 
And  be  ye  of  good  courage,  and  bring  of  the 
fruit  of  the  land.    Now  the  time  was  the  time 

21  of  the  tirstripe  grapes.  So  they  went  up,  and 
spied  out  the  land  from  the  wilderness  of  Zin 

22  unto  Rehob,  to  the  entering  in  of  Hamath.  And 
they  went  up  by  the  South,  and  came  unto  He- 
bron ;  and  Ahiman,  Sheshai,  and  Talmai,  the 
children  of  Anak,  were  there.  (Now  Hebron 
was  built  seven  years  before  Zoan  in  Egypt.) 

23  And  they  came  unto  the  valley  of  Eshcol,  and 
cut  down  from  thence  a  branch  with  one  cluster 
of  grapes,  and  they  bare  it  upon  a  staff  between 
two  ;  they  brovght  also  of  the  pomegranates,  and 

24  of  the  tigs.  That  place  was  called  the  valley  of 
Eshcol,  because  of  the  cluster  which  the  chil- 


verses  are  derived,  and  this  appears  again  in 
ver.  25  and  the  first  part  of  26,  and  in  32,  The 
continuous  account  as  this  relates  it  would  be : 
that  the  spies  went  through  the  whole  land  from 
the  south  boundary  to  Rehob  in  the  far  north 
(ver.  21)^  and  returned  at  the  end  of  forty  days  to 
the  wilderness  of  Paran  (ver.  25, 26a) ^  and  brought 
back  an  evil  report  of  the  land  to  the  effect  that 
it  consumed  its  inhabitants,  besides  being  de- 
fended by  men  of  gigantic  stature  (ver.  32).  On 
the  other  hand,  the  story  from  the  JE  source, 
■which  starts  in  at  ver.  17,  indicates  that  the 
spies  were  directed  to  go  up  into  the  Negeb,  and 
so  on  to  the  hill  country,  and  make  a  careful  re- 
connaissance bringing  back  specimens  of  the 
fruits,  as  it  was  early  grape  harvest  (ver.  17-20) ; 
that  these  went  up  into  the  Negeb  and  on  to 
Hebron,  finding  there  the  three  sons  of  Anak, 
and  brought  back  various  kinds  of  fruits,  es- 
pecially a  bunch  of  grapes  of  extraordinary 
weight  from  the  valley  of  Eshcol  (ver.  22-24)^  and 
that  on  their  return  to  Kadesh  they  showed  the 
fruit  and  admitted  that  the  land  was  all  that 
had  been  anticipated,  but  that  the  people  were 
strong  and  the  cities  great  and  fortified  ;  and, 
finally,  before  any  explicit  intimation  is  given 
that  the  congregation  were  panic-stricken,  that 
Caleb  stilled  the  people,  being  in  this  matter 
opposed  by  the  other  spies  who  maintained  their 
inability  to  take  the  land  (ver.  27-31)^  and  de- 
scribed with  great  vividness  their  contrast  to  the 
Nephilira,  the  sonsof  Anak  (ver.  33).  21.  The 
wilderness  of  Zin.  This  is  the  desert 
into  which  the  wilderness  of  Paran  merges  at 
its  northeast  side,  stretching  eastward  to  the 
Arabah.  It  is  mentioned  here,  as  also  in  34  : 
3,  seq.,  as  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Holy 
Land,  or  Judah  (Josh.  15 :  1,  3).     In  this  desert 


Kadesh  was  situated  (20  :  1 ;  27  :  u ;  33  :  36),  and 
the  apparent  location  of  Kadesh  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Paran  in  ver.  26  would  indicate  that  the 
distinction  between  the  wilderness  of  Paran  and 
that  of  Zin  was  not  always  clearly  observed. 
Rehob  is  probably  the  place  mentioned  as  Beth- 
Rehob  in  Judg.  18  :  28  (cf.  2  Sam.  10  :  6,  8),  neai* 
the  city  of  Laish  which  the  Danites  took  and 
named  Dan.  As  men  come  to  Hamath, 
rather,  the  entering  in  of  Hamath  (see  r.  v.),  is 
the  valley  or  pass  between  Lebanon  and  Anti- 
Lebanon,  called  Ccele-Syria.  It  is  possible  that 
the  two  accounts  of  the  spies  may  be  harmonized 
by  supposing  that  some  of  them  were  instructed 
to  keep  in  the  south,  while  other  parties  of  them 
went  to  the  middle  portion  and  to  the  far  north, 
and  returned  somewhat  later.  Those  who  ex- 
plored the  south,  at  least,  found  at  Hebron  the 
three  men  of  the  race  of  Anak,  Ahiman,  She- 
shai, and  Talmai  (ver.  22),  men  whom  Caleb  after- 
ward   drove    out  (Josh.  15  :  14  ;   Judg.  1  :  20).      A  UOte 

mentions  Hebron  as  very  ancient  (ver.  22) ;  its 
early  name  was  Kirjath-Arba,  or  city  of  Arba 
(Gen.  35  :  27),  SO  called  from  Arba,  who  was  the 
greatest  man  among  the  Anakim  (Josh,  u  :  15), 
indeed,  the  ancestor  of  the  race  (Josh.  21  :  11). 
These  sons  of  Anak  were  described  by  the  fright- 
ened spies  on  their  return  as  descendants  of  the 
Nephilim  (ver.  33),  a  name  used  elsewhere  only 
of  the  giants  or  Titans  of  antediluvian  times 
(Gen.  6  :  4).  23.  The  brook  of  Eshcol,  or 
rather,  valley  (see  r.  v.).  This  place  was  evi- 
dently near  Hebron ;  and  that  region  is  cele- 
brated to  this  day  for  its  vines,  which  have  been 
known  to  yield  clusters,  weighing  eleven  or 
twelve  pounds,  of  grapes  like  plums  in  size. 
Tlie  bunch  of  grapes,  Heb.  121^^,  'eshkol,  is 
said  by  the  author  to  have  given  at  a  later  period 


Ch.  XIV.] 


NUMBERS 


55 


25  And  they  returned  from  searching  of  the  land 
after  forty  days. 

26  And  they  went  and  came  to  Moses,  and  to 
Aaron,  and  to  all  the  congregation  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  unto  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  to  Kadesh  ; 
and  brought  back  word  unto  them,  and  unto  all 
the  congregation,  and  shewed  them  the  fruit  of 
the  land. 

27  And  they  told  him,  and  said,  We  came  unto 
the  land  whither  thou  sendest  us,  and  surely  it 
floweth  with  milk  and  honey  ;  and  this  is  the  fruit 
of  it. 

28  Nevertheless  the  people  be  strong  that  dwell 
in  the  land,  and  the  cities  are  walled,  and  very 
great :  and  moreover  we  saw  the  children  of  Anak 
there. 

29  The  Amalekites  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  south  : 
and  the  Hittites,  and  the  Jebusites,  and  the  Am- 
orites,  dwell  in  the  mountains  :  and  the  Canaanites 
dwell  by  the  sea,  and  by  the  coast  of  Jordan. 

30  And  Caleb  stilled  the  people  before  Moses,  and 
said,  Let  us  go  up  at  once,  and  possess  it;  for  we 
are  well  able  to  overcome  it. 

31  But  the  men  that  went  up  with  him  said.  We 
be  not  able  to  go  up  against  the  people  ;  for  they  are 
stronger  than  we. 

32  And  they  brought  up  an  evil  report  of  the  land 
which  they  "had  searched  unto  the  children  of 
Israel,  saying.  The  land,  through  which  we  have 
gone  to  search  it,  is  a  land  that  eateth  up  the  in- 
habitants thereof;  and  all  the  people  that  we  saw 
in  it  are  men  of  a  great  stature. 

33  And  there  we  saw  the  giants,  the  sons  of  Anak, 
which  come  of  the  giants :  and  we  were  in  our  own 
sight  as  grasshoppers,  and  so  we  were  in  their 
siglit. 


25  dren  of  Israel  cut  down  from  thence.  And  they 
returned  from  spying  out  the  laud  at  the  end  of 

26  forty  days.  And  they  went  and  came  to  Moses, 
and  to  Aaron,  and  to  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  unto  the  wilderness  of  Paran, 
to  Kadesh  ;  and  brought  back  word  unto  them, 
and  unto  all  the  congregation,  and  shewed  them 

27  the  fruit  of  the  land.  And  they  told  him,  and 
said,  We  came  unto  the  land  whither  thou  sentest 
us,  and  surely  it  floweth  with  milk  and  honey ; 

28  and  this  is  the  fruit  of  it.  How  belt  the  people 
that  dwell  in  the  land  are  strong,  and  the  cities 
are  fenced,  and  very  great:   and  moreover  we 

29  saw  the  children  of  Anak  there.  Amalek  dwell- 
eth  in  the  land  of  the  South  :  and  the  Hittite, 
and  the  Jebusite,  and  the  Amorite,  dwell  in  the 
mountains:  and  the  Canaanite  dwelleth  by  the 

30  sea,  and  along  by  the  side  of  Jordan.  And 
Caleb  stilled  the  people  before  Moses,  and  said, 
Let  us  go  up  at  once,  and  possess  it ;  for  we  are 

31  Avell  able  to  overcome  it.  But  the  men  that 
went  up  with  him  said.  We  be  not  able  to  go  up 
against  the  people ;  for  they  are  stronger  than 

32  we.  And  they  brought  up  an  evil  report  of  the 
land  which  they  had  spied  out  unto  the  children 
of  Israel,  saying.  The  land,  through  which  we 
have  gone  to  spy  it  out,  is  a  land  that  eateth  up 
the  inhabitants  thereof  ;  and  all  the  people  that 

33  we  saw  in  it  are  men  of  great  stature.  And 
there  we  saw  the  Nephilim,  the  sons  of  Anak, 
which  come  of  the  Nephilim :  and  we  were  in 
our  own  sight  as  grasshoppers,  and  so  we  were 
in  their  sight. 


the  name  to  the  valley  (ver.  24).  It  is  to  be  noted 
that  according  to  Gen.  14  :  13,  24  an  Amorite 
living  in  this  region,  brother  of  Mamre  and 
Aner,  and  an  ally  of  Abram,  was  named  Eshcol, 
and  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  name  Eshcol, 
which  the  valley  may  have  already  had  at  the 
visit  of  the  spies,  was  derived  from  the  ancient 
Canaanite,  and  that  the  name  through  its  mean- 
ing came  to  be  associated  with  the  bunch  of 
grapes  gathered  there,  and  popularly  referred 
to  that  incident  for  its  origin.  26.  To  Ka- 
desh. The  place  is  here  mentioned  as  in  the 
wilderness  of  Paran,  but  it  is  elsewhere  said  to 
be  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin.  This  place  is  second 
only  to  Sinai  in  importance  in  connection  with 
the  journeyings  of  the  children  of  Israel.  It  is 
first  mentioned  in  Gen.  14  :  7,  where  it  is  identi- 
fied "vvith  En-Mishpat.  A  somewhat  later  name  is 
Kadesh-barnea  (32 :  s;  Deut.  1  :  2,  etc.),  or  Kadesh 
of  wandering.  This  becomes  the  headquarters 
of  the  host  of  Israel  for  thirty-eight  years,  per- 
haps the  place  of  the  sanctuary  and  of  Moses' 
residence.  It  is  probably  to  be  identified  with 
the  site  discovered  by  Rowland  in  1842,  known 
among  the  Arabs  as  'Ain  Qadis,  or  Holy  Well. 
It  is  in  a  fertile  plain  or  oasis,  where  a  stream  of 
water  issues  from  a  wall  of  limestone  rock  and 
is  collected  into  troughs  for  the  watering  of  cat- 
tle. In  Deuteronomy  it  is  described  as  eleven 
days'  journey  from  Mount  Horeb  by  way  of 
Mount  Seir  (Deut.  1:2). 


The  spies  come  back  and  show  their  fruits  and 
report  that  the  land  is  indeed  a  fertile  land,  but 
that  the  people  are  strong  and  the  cities  great 
and  strongly  fortified  (ver.  2'7. 28).  Their  special 
bugbear  is  the  sons  of  Anak,  to  whom  they  re- 
cur in  ver.  33.  The  tribes  that  occupy  the  land 
are  roughly  classified  and  located  (ver.  29),  Ama- 
lek in  the  Negeb,  the  Hittites,  Jebusites,  and 
Amorites  in  the  hill  country,  and  the  Canaanites 
by  the  sea  and  in  the  Jordan  Valley.  These  last, 
who  seem  to  be  described  as  lowlanders,  are 
also  mentioned  as  living  in  other  and  more 
mountainous  regions  than  the  one  here  specified 
(u  :  43, 45;  21  :  i).  Caleb,  apparently  noting  the 
rising  tide  of  the  people's  dissatisfaction,  begins 
to  still  the  multitude,  but  his  efibrts  only  call 
out  the  more  vehement  opposition  from  the  re- 
maining spies.  It  was  this  hero  who  in  his  old 
age  chose  this  very  place  Hebron,  where  the 
greatest  difiiculties  existed,  and  where  the  sons 
of  Anak  were  found,  as  the  inheritance  which 
he  would  undertake  to  conquer  and  possess  (Josh. 
1* :  12).  As  for  Joshua,  he  does  not  appear  in  his 
role  of  pacifier  until  the  next  chapter. 


Chap.  14.  The  rebellion  of  the  peo- 
ple AND  THEIR  SENTENCE.  The  eflect  of  the 
adverse  report  of  the  spies  was  first  that  it 
threw  the  multitude  into  an  extraordinary 
depression,  or  as  ISIoses  puts  it  in  Deuteron- 
omy (1:28),   "made  their  hearts  melt,"  and 


56 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XIV. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


1  AND  all  the  congregation  lifted  up  their  voice, 
and  cried  ;  and  the  people  wept  that  night. 

2  And  all  the  children  of  Israel  murmured  against 
Moses  and  against  Aaron :  and  the  whole  congre- 
gation said  unto  them,  Would  God  that  we  had 
died  in  the  land  of  Egypt!  or  would  God  we  had 
died  in  this  wilderness! 

3  And  wherefore  hath  the  Lord  brought  us  unto 
this  land,  to  fall  by  the  sword,  that  our  wives  and 
our  children  should  be  a  prey  ?  were  it  not  better 
for  us  to  return  into  Egypt? 

4  And  they  said  one  to  another,  Let  us  make  a 
captain,  and  let  us  return  into  Egypt. 

5  Then  Moses  and  Aaron  fell  on  their  faces  be- 
fore all  the  assembly  of  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel. 

6  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the  son 
Jephunneh,  which  were  of  them  that  searched  the 
land,  rent  their  clothes : 

7  And  they  spake  unto  all  the  company  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  saying,  The  land,  which  we 
passed  through  to  search  it,  is  an  exceeding  good 
land. 

8  If  the  Lord  delight  in  us,  then  he  will  bring  us 
into  this  land,  and  give  it  us ;  a  laud  which  floweth 
with  milk  and  honey. 

9  Only  rebel  not  ye  against  the  Lord,  neither  fear 
ye  the  people  of  the  land ;  for  they  are  bread  for 
us :  their  defence  is  departed  from  them,  and  the 
Lord  is  with  us :  fear  them  not. 

10  But  all  the  congregation  bade  stone  them  with 
stones.  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  in  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation  before  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel. 

11  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  How  long  will 
this  people  provoke  me?  and  how  long  will  it  be 
ere  they  believe  me,  for  all  the  signs  which  I  have 
shewed  among  them  ? 


1  AND  all  the  congregation  lifted  up  their  voice, 
and  cried ;    and   the  people  wept  that   night. 

2  And  all  the  children  of  Israel  murmured  agahist 
Moses  and  against  Aaron :  and  the  whole  con- 
gregation said  unto  them,  Would  God  that  we 
had  died  in  the  land  of  Egypt !  or  would  God 

3  we  had  died  in  this  wilderness  !  And  wherefore 
doth  the  Lord  bring  us  unto  this  land,  to  fall  by 
the  sword  ?  Our  wives  and  our  little  ones  shall 
be  a  prey :  were  it  not  better  for  us  to  return 

4  into  Egypt  ?  And  they  said  one  to  another.  Let 
us  make  a  captain,  and  let  us  return  into  Egypt. 

5  Then  Moses  and  Aaron  fell  on  their  faces  before 
all  the  assembly  of  the  congregation  of  the  chil- 

6  dren  of  Israel.  And  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  and 
Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  which  were  of 
them  that  spied  out  the  land,  rent  their  clothes : 

7  and  they  spake  unto  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  saying,  The  land,  which  we 
passed  through  to  spy  it  out,  is  an  exceeding 

8  good  land.  If  the  Lord  delight  in  us,  then  he 
will  bring  us  into  this  land,  and  give  it  unto  us  ; 
a  land  which  floweth  with  milk  and  honey. 

9  Only  rebel  not  against  the  Lord,  neither  fear  ye 
the  people  of  the  land ;  for  they  are  bread  for 
us:  their  defence  is  removed  from  over  them, 

10  and  the  Lord  is  with  us  :  fear  them  not.  But  all 
the  congregation  bade  stone  them  with  stones. 
And  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  in  the  tent 
of  meeting  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel. 

11  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  How  long  will 
this  people  despise  me  ?  and  how  long  will  they 
not  believe  in  me,  for  all  the  signs  which  I  have 


then  awakened,  as  the  next  stage  in  their  per- 
turbation, an  unreasonable  resentment  against 
their  leaders  Moses  and  Aaron.  Finally  their 
dissatisfaction  assumed  the  more  definite  shape 
of  making  inchoate  plans  to  choose  a  leader  and 
go  back  to  Egypt  (ver.  4).  Moses  and  Aaron  fell 
on  their  faces  before  God  in  order  to  entreat  his 
interposition,  but  not,  according  to  Deut.  1  : 
29-31,  until  they  had  unsuccessfully  tried  to  re- 
assure the  people  by  encouragements  and  per- 
suasions. Joshua,  who  now  for  the  first  appears 
(ver.  6)  as  a  stiller  of  the  rebellion,  joins  Caleb  in 
manifesting  his  grief  at  the  people's  perverse- 
ness  and  in  attempting  to  inspire  something  of 
an  enterprising  and  warlike  spirit.  The  three- 
fold motive  on  which  they  sought  to  work  was 
faith  in  God,  cupidity,  and  belief  in  the  doom 
of  the  Canaanites.  Not  simply  the  cupidity  of 
those  seeking  homes  or  places  to  grow  the  slow 
fruits  of  the  earth  did  these  heroes  attempt  to 
arouse,  but  the  fiercer  cupidity  of  those  anticipa- 
ting a  swift  return  in  the  way  of  spoil.  Neither 
fear  ye  the  people  of  the  land  ;  for  they 
are  bread  for  us  (ver.  o),  perhaps  means  that 
the  people,  so  far  from  being  an  incumbrance 
or  drawback,  are  an  additional  asset,  for  they 
represent  accumulated  wealth,  or  food  ready  for 
use,  which  by  a  little  boldness  can  immediately 


be  secured,  so  as  to  bring  us  at  once  into  plenty. 
And  all  this  is  urged  as  a  sure  thing  because,  as 
the  picturesque  Hebrew  expresses  it,  *'  their 
shadow  is  removed  from  them"  (ver.  9) — the 
people,  as  doomed  to  destruction  by  Jehovah, 
are  really  without  defense,  however  strong  they 
may  appear.  The  figurative  use  of  the  term 
"  shadow"  to  signify  defense  or  security  is  not 
uncommon  in  Hebrew  literature  (see,  e.  g.,  isa. 
ZQ  :  'i;  Ps.  91 : 1 ;  121 : 5).  The  rcasoniug  was  really 
on  a  very  high  plane  of  faith ;  it  was  firmly 
grounded  on  the  assurance  that  Jehovah's  favor 
is  security,  and  his  displeasure  always  means 
nakedness  and  defenselessness  despite  the  strong- 
est armaments.  But  the  people  were  not  in  the 
mood  for  such  transcendent  reasoning  as  this ; 
and  they  began  to  raise  the  cry  of  a  mob  (ver.  lo), 
until  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shone  forth  from  the 
tent  of  meeting  in  its  threatening  majesty  and 
awed  them  into  silence. 

The  appearance  of  the  divine  glory  in  the 
tent  seems  to  have  been  not  only  intended  to 
effect  the  rescue  of  the  devoted  Joshua  and  Ca- 
leb, but  to  portend  a  momentous  communication 
to  Moses.  Jehovah's  sentence  on  the  rebellious 
people,  with  Moses'  intercession,  is  given  in  the 
manner  perhaps  characteristic  of  JE  in  ver.  11- 
25,  while  in  ver.  26-38  the  same  sentence  is  given 


Ch.  XIV.] 


NUMBERS 


57 


12  I  will  smite  them  with  the  pestilence,  and  dis- 
inherit them,  and  will  make  of  thee  a  greater  na- 
tion and  mightier  than  they. 

13  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  Then  the 
Egyptians  shall  hear  ii,  (for  thou  broughtest  up  this 
people  in  thy  might  from  among  them  ;) 

14  And  they  will  tell  it  to  the  inhabitants  of  this 
land  :  for  they  have  heard  that  thou  Lord  art  among 
this  people,  that  thou  Lord  art  seen  face  to  face, 
and  that  thy  cloud  standeth  over  them,  and  that 
thou  goest  before  them,  by  day  time  in  a  pillar  of  a 
cloud,  and  in  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 

15  Now  if  thou  shalt  kill  all  this  people  as  one 
man,  then  the  nations  which  have  heard  the  fame 
of  thee  will  speak,  saying, 

16  Because  the  Lord  was  not  able  to  bring  this 
people  into  the  land  which  he  sware  unto  them, 
therefore  he  hath  slain  them  in  the  wilderness. 

17  And  now,  I  beseech  thee,  let  the  power  of  my 
Lord  be  great,  according  as  thou  hast  spoken, 
saying, 

18  The  Lord  is  longsuffering,  and  of  great  mercy, 
forgiving  iniquity  and  transgression,  and  by  no 
means  clearing  the  guilty,  visiting  the  iniquity  of 
the  fathers  upon  the  children  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generation. 

19  Pardon,  I  beseech  thee,  the  iniquity  of  this 
people  according  unto  the  greatness  of  thy  mercy, 
and  as  thou  hast  forgiven  this  people,  from  Egypt 
even  until  now. 

20  And  the  Lord  said,  I  have  pardoned  according 
to  thy  word : 

21  But  as  truly  as  I  live,  all  the  earth  shall  be 
filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 

22  Because  all  those  men  which  have  seen  my 
glory,  and  my  miracles,  which  1  did  in  Egypt  and 
in  the  wilderness,  and  have  tempted  me  now  these 
ten  times,  and  have  not  hearkened  to  my  voice  ; 

23  Surely  they  shall  not  see  the  land  which  I 
sware  unto  their  fathers,  neither  shall  any  of  them 
that  provoked  me  see  it : 

24  But  my  servant  Caleb,  because  he  had  another 
spirit  with  him,  and  hath  followed  me  fully,  him 
will  I  bring  into  the  land  whereinto  he  went ;  and 
his  seed  shall  possess  it. 


12  wrought  among  them?  I  will  smite  them  with 
the  pestilence,  and  disinherit  them,  and  will 
make  of  thee  a  nation  greater  and  mightier  than 

13  they.  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  Then  the 
Egyptians  shall  hear  it ;  for  thou  broughtest  up 

14  this  people  in  thy  might  from  among  them  ;  and 
they  will  tell  it  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  land  : 
they  have  heard  that  thou  Lord  art  in  the  midst 
of  this  people ;  for  thou  Lord  art  seen  face  to 
face,  and  thy  cloud  standeth  over  them,  and 
thou  goest  before  them,  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  by 

15  day,  and  in  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night.  Now  if 
thou  shalt  kill  this  people  as  one  man,  then  the 
nations  which  have  heard  the  fame  of  thee  will 

16  speak,  saying.  Because  the  Lord  was  not  able  to 
bring  this  people  into  the  land  which  he  sware 
unto  them,  therefore  he  hath  slain  them  in  the 

17  wilderness.  And  now,  I  pray  thee,  let  the  power 
of  the  Lord  be  great,  according  as  thou  hast 

18  spoken,  saying.  The  Lord  is  slow  to  anger,  and 
plenteous  in  mercy,  forgiving  iniquity  and  trans- 
gression, and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty ;  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon 
the  children,  upon  the  third  and  upon  the  fourth 

19  generation.  Pardon,  I  pray  thee,  the  iniquity 
of  this  people  according  unto  the  greatness  of 
thy  mercy,  and  according  as  thou  hast  forgiven 

20  this  people,  from  Egypt  even  until  now.  And 
the  Lord  said,  I  have  pardoned  according  to  thy 

21  word  :  but  in  very  deed,  as  I  live,  and  as  all  the 
earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ; 

22  because  all  those  men  which  have  seen  my  glory, 
and  my  signs,  which  I  wrought  in  Egypt  and  in 
the  wilderness,  yet  have  tempted  me  these  ten 
times,  and  have  not  hearkened  to  my  voice ; 

23  surely  they  shall  not  see  the  laud  which  I  sware 
unto  their  fathers,  neither  shall  any  of  them 

24  that  despised  me  see  it :  but  my  servant  Caleb, 
because  he  had  another  spirit  with  him,  and 
hath  followed  me  fully,  him  will  I  bring  into 
the  land  whereinto  he  went ;  and  his  seed  shall 


in  a  somewhat  different  form  more  characterized 
by  the  style  of  P.  God's  patience  is  represented 
as  sorely  tried  (ver.  ii)^  and  the  proposal  which 
first  appeared  in  Exod.  32 :  10  to  destroy  the  na- 
tion and  make  Moses  a  new  national  founder  is 
here  repeated.  Moses  again,  as  in  that  chapter, 
reasons  with  Jehovah,  urging  here,  however, 
the  consideration,  not  that  the  Egyptians  would 
interpret  the  Israelites'  destruction  as  a  proof  of 
Jehovah's  malignity  (cf.  Exod.  32  :  12)^  but  that 
they,  and  all  the  nations  to  whom  they  would 
tell  of  the  glorious  starting  out  of  the  exodus 
(ver.  13),  would  reason  that  the  divine  strength 
was  exhausted  in  the  wilderness  without  being 
able  to  bring  its  intentions  to  pass.  Then  Moses 
pleads  that  the  power  of  the  Lord,  if  that  must 
be  manifested,  may  be  seen  in  confirming  that 
revelation  of  his  mercy  which  he  had  made  to 
Moses  when  he  asked  God  at  Sinai  to  show  him 
his  glory  (Exod.  34  :  6,  seq.).  An  imprcssivc  thing 
it  is,  and  an  exaltation  of  Old  Testament  revela- 
tion, to  see  a  mortal  fully  possessed  of  the  truth 
that  the  highest  divine  glory  is  forbearance  and 
mercy,  and  pleading  that  truth  with  God  against 
an  implacableness  which,  no  doubt  to  test  his 


servant,  God  apparently  assumed.  Moses'  self- 
devotion  does  not  on  this  occasion  reach  the  sub- 
lime height  which  it  reached  at  Sinai  where  he 
entreated  that  Jehovah  would  blot  him  out  of 
his  book  rather  than  refuse  to  forgive  the  peo- 
ple's sin  (Exod.  32 :  32),  but  he  apparently  pleads 
God's  revealed  mercy  to  such  good  purpose  that 
God  promises  to  forgive  his  countrymen.  Je- 
hovah, however,  takes  a  solemn  oath  that  none 
of  these  men  who  have  seen  his  glory  and  his 
signs,  and  have  tempted  or  exasperated  him  ten 
times,  shall  see  the  land  which  he  swore  to  their 
fathers,  except  Caleb  who  had  another  spirit  in 
him  and  has  followed  him  fully. 

The  number  ten  (ver.  22),  as  applied  to  the 
occasions  when  the  Israelites  tried  the  patience 
of  God,  no  doubt  is  meant  simply  as  equivalent 
to  an  indefinite  complete  number  —  "times 
enough."  The  rabbis,  however,  always  pro- 
saic, reckon  up  the  precise  occasions  on  which 
these  temptations  occurred,  and  of  course  with 
sufficient  ingenuity  make  them  agree  with  the 
number  here.    They  are  :  at  the  Red  Sea  (Exod. 

14  :  11,  seq.)  ;   at  Marah  (Exod.  15  :  23,  seq.),  in  the  wil- 

derness  of  Sin  (Exod.  le  :  2,  seq.) ;  their  disregard 


58 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XIV. 


25  (Now  the  Amalekites  and  the  Canaanites  dwelt 
in  the  valley.)  To  morrow  turn  you,  and  get  you 
into  the  wilderness  by  the  way  of  the  Red  sea. 

26  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 
Aaron,  saying, 

27  How  long  shall  1  bear  with  this  evil  congrega- 
tion, which  murmur  against  me?  I  have  heard 
the  murraurings  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which 
they  murmur  against  me. 

28  Say  unto  them.  As  truly  as  I  live,  saith  the 
Lord,  as  ye  have  spoken  in  mine  ears,  so  will  I  do 
to  you : 

29  Your  carcases  shall  fall  in  this  wilderness ; 
and  all  that  were  numbered  of  you,  according  to 
your  whole  number,  from  twenty  years  old  and 
upward,  which  have  murmured  against  me, 

30  Doubtless  ye  shall  not  come  into  the  land, 
concerning  which  I  sware  to  make  you  dwell  there- 
in, save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh,  and  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun. 

31  But  your  little  ones,  which  ye  said  should  be 
a  prey,  them  will  I  bring  in,  and  they  shall  know 
the  land  which  ye  have  despised. 

32  But  as  for  you,  your  carcases,  they  shall  fall  in 
this  wilderness. 

33  And  your  children  shall  wander  in  the  wilder- 
ness forty  years,  and  bear  your  whoredoms,  until 
your  carcases  be  wasted  in  the  wilderness. 

34  After  the  number  of  the  days  in  which  ye 
searched  the  land,  even  forty  days,  each  day  for  a 
year,  shall  ye  bear  your  iniquities,  even  forty  years, 
and  ye  shall  know  my  breach  of  promise. 

35  I  the  Lord  have  said,  I  will  surely  do  it  unto 
all  this  evil  congregation,  that  are  gathered  to- 
gether against  me  :  in  this  wilderness  they  shall  be 
consumed,  and  there  they  shall  die. 

36  And  the  men.  which  Moses  sent  to  search  the 
land,  who  returned,  and  made  all  the  congregation 
to  murmur  against  him,  by  bringing  up  a  slander 
upon  the  land, 


25  possess  it.  Now  the  Amalekite  and  the  Canaanite 
dwell  in  the  valley :  to-morrow  turn  ye,  and  get 
you  into  the  wilderness  by  the  way  to  the  Red 
Sea. 

26  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and   unto 

27  Aaron,  saying.  How  long  shall  I  hear  with  this  evil 
congregation,  which  murmur  against  me  ?  I  have 
heard  the  murmurings  of  the  children  of  Israel, 

28  which  they  murmur  against  me.  Say  unto  them, 
As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  surely  as  ye  have 

29  spoken  in  mine  ears,  so  will  I  do  to  you :  your 
carcases  shall  fall  in  this  wilderness ;  and  all 
that  were  numbered  of  you,  according  to  your 
whole  number,  from  twenty  years  old  and  up- 

30  ward,  which  have  murmured  against  me,  surely 
ye  shall  not  come  into  the  land,  concerning 
which  I  lifted  up  my  hand  that  I  would  make 
you  dwell  therein,  save  Caleb  the  son  of  Je- 

31  phunneh,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun.  But  your 
little  ones,  which  ye  said  should  be  a  prey,  them 
will  I  bring  in,  and  they  shall  know  the  land 

32  which  ye  have  rejected.    But  as  for  you,  your 

33  carcases  shall  fall  in  this  wilderness.  And 
your  children  shall  be  wanderers  in  the  wilder- 
ness forty  years,  and  shall  bear  your  whore- 
doms, until  your  carcases  be  consumed  in  the 

34  wilderness.  After  the  number  of  the  days  in 
which  ye  spied  out  the  land,  even  forty  days, 
for  every  day  a  year,  shall  ye  bear  your  ini- 
quities, even  forty  years,  and  ye  shall  know  my 

35  alienation.  I  the  Lord  have  spoken,  surely  this 
will  I  do  unto  all  this  evil  congregation,  that  are 
gathered  together  against  me :  in  this  wilderness 
they  shall  be  consumed,  and  there  they  shall 

36  die.  And  the  men,  which  Moses  sent  to  spy  out 
the  land,  who  returned,  and  made  all  the  con- 
gregation to  murmur  against  him,  by  bringing 


of  directions  regarding  the  manna  (Exod.  le  :  20) ; 
their  attempt  to  gather  it  on  the  seventh  day 
(Exod.  16  :  27, 28) ;  their  murmuring  for  water  at 
Meribah  ( Exod.  17 : 2,  seq. ) ;  their  sin  with  the  gold- 
en calf  (Exod.  32)  ;  the  burning  at  Taberah  (Num. 
11  : 1,  seq.) ;  the  murmuring  of  the  mixed  multi- 
tude at  Kibroth-Hattaawah  (Num.  11 : 4,  seq.) ;  and 
finally  this  occasion. 

In  ver.  25  the  fatal  command  is  issued.  It  is 
preceded  by  the  statement  that  the  Amalekite 
and  the  Canaanite  dwell  in  the  valley  or  plain, 
a  statement  which  but  imperfectly  accords  with 
13  :  29  and  14  :  43,  45,  where  these  tribes  are 
described  as  mountaineers.  The  command  is 
that  on  the  morrow  the  people  shall  turn  south- 
ward and  strike  into  the  wilderness  by  the  Red 
Sea  road — the  modern  Hajj  route  from  'Aqabah 
to  Suez — for  their  long  wandering. 

26-45.  In  this  section  the  sentence  of  Jehovah 
against  the  rebellious  people  is  repeated  in  quite 
different  terms  and  in  another  style.  There  is  no 
divine  threat  appeased  by  human  intercession, 
but  a  prediction  in  prosaic  statistical  terms,  em- 
bellished by  arithmetical  coincidences  and  grim 
humor,  of  what  shall  befall  the  people  and  their 
children,  the  recurring  burden  being,  your 
carcases  shall  fall  in  this  wilderness,  or 
its  equivalent  (ver.  29, 32, 33, 35).    Both  Caleb  and 


Joshua,  instead  of  Caleb  alone  as  in  the  preced- 
ing section,  are  exempted  from  the  sentence  of 
exclusion  (ver.  30).  The  fulfillment  of  the  wish 
which  in  their  panic  they  uttered,  that  they 
might  die  in  the  wilderness,  is  grimly  forced 
upon  them  (ver.  29) ;  the  prediction  that  their 
children  should  become  a  prey  is  falsified  by  the 
assertion  that  these  shall  supersede  them  in  the 
privilege  of  beholding  the  Promised  Land  ( ver. 
31),  though  they  must  first  be  shepherds  in  the 
wilderness  forty  years  as  an  infliction  for  their 
parents'  unfaithfulness.  The  correspondence  of 
the  forty  years'  wandering  with  the  forty  days 
spent  by  those  spies  who  in  one  narrative  were 
said  to  have  gone  to  Rehob  (is  =  21, 25)  is  drawn 
out  with  a  kind  of  relish,  the  most  depressing 
fact  of  that  wandering  being  described  as,  that 
they  shall  know  or  experience  what  it  is  to  have 
God  turn  away  from  them.  34.  My  breach 
of  promise  is  more  exactly  rendered,  my 
turning  away.  See  R.  V.  The  wandering  which 
in  this  narrative  is  apparently  described  as  ex- 
hibiting an  exact  coincidence  with  the  forty 
days'  expedition  is  elsewhere  said  to  have  lasted 
thirty-eight  years  (neut.  2  :  14). 

The  story  goes  on  in  ver.  36,  37  to  relate  what 
was  the  fate  of  the  spies  who  brought  in  an  evil 
report  of  the  land.    It  is  not  expressly  said  that 


Ch.  XV.] 


NUMBERS 


59 


37  Even  those  men  that  did  bring  up  the  evil  re- 
port upon  the  land,  died  by  the  plague  before  the 
Lord. 

38  But  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  Caleb  the  son 
of  Jephunneh,  which  were  of  the  men  that  went  to 
search  the  land,  lived  still. 

39  And  Moses  told  these  sayings  unto  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  and  the  people  mourned  greatly. 

40  And  they  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and 
gat  them  up  into  the  top  of  the  mountain,  saying, 
Lo,  we  he  here,  and  will  go  up  unto  the  place  which 
the  Lord  hath  promised  :  for  we  have  sinned. 

41  And  Moses  said.  Wherefore  now  do  ye  trans- 
gress the  commandment  of  the  Lord  ?  but  it  shall 
not  prosper. 

42  Go  not  up,  for  the  Lord  is  not  among  you ; 
that  ye  be  not  smitten  before  your  enemies. 

43  For  the  Amalekites  and  the  Canaanites  are 
there  before  you,  and  ye  shall  fall  by  the  sword : 
because  ye  are  turned  away  from  the  Lord,  there- 
fore the  Lord  will  not  be  with  you. 

44  But  they  presumed  to  go  up  unto  the  hill  top ; 
nevertheless  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the  Lord, 
and  Moses,  departed  not  out  of  the  camp. 

45  Then  the  Amalekites  came  dov/n,  and  the 
Canaanites  which  dwelt  in  that  hill,  and  smote 
them,  and  discomfited  them,  even  unto  Hormah. 


37  up  an  evil  report  against  the  land,  even  those 
men  that  did  bring  up  an  evil  report  of  the  land, 

38  died  by  the  plague  before  the  Lord.  But  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun.  and  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh, 
remained  alive  of  those  men  that  went  to  spy 

39  out  the  land.  And  Moses  told  these  words  unto 
all    the   children    of   Israel  :    and    the    people 

40  mourned  greatly.  And  they  rose  up  early  in 
the  morning,  and  gat  them  up  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  saying,  Lo,  we  be  here,  and  will  go 
up  unto  the  place  which  the  Lord  hath  promised  : 

41  for  we  have  sinned.  And  Moses  said.  Wherefore 
now  do  ye  transgress  the  commandment  of  the 

42  Lord,  seeing  it  shall  not  prosper?  Go  not  up,  for 
the  Lord  is  not  among  you  ;  that  ye  be  not  sniit- 

43  ten  down  before  your  enemies.  For  there  tlie 
Amalekite  and  the  Canaanite  are  before  you, 
and  ye  shall  fall  by  the  sword  :  because  ye  are 
turned  back  from  following  the  Lord,  therefore 

44  the  Lord  will  not  be  with  you.  But  they  pre- 
sumed to  go  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  : 
nevertheless  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord,  and  Moses,  departed  not  out  of  the  camp. 

45  Then  the  Amalekite  came  down,  and  the  Ca- 
naanite which  dwelt  in  that  mountain,  and 
smote  them  and  beat  them  down,  even  unto 
Hormah. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  |     1     AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,    saying. 


this  stroke  from  the  Lord's  presence  occurred  at 
this  time  ;  and  the  passage  may  be  taken  as  an 
anticipation  of  the  later  history  of  these  men, 
just  as  the  following  verse  anticipates  the  later 
history  of  Joshua  and  Caleb.  Deut.  2  :  15  seems 
to  indicate  that  there  was  an  unusual  sickliness 
in  the  camp  during  the  thirty-eight  years  which 
shortened  the  life  of  the  whole  generation.  As 
for  the  statement  made  here  and  repeatedly  (e.  g., 
Num.  26  :  63-65)  that  not  One  of  those  over  twenty 
years  of  age  save  Caleb  and  Joshua  survived  to 
the  second  numbering  under  Eleazar,  we  must 
surely  modify  it  to  the  extent  of  excepting 
Eleazar  himself  who  was  a  prominent  leader  at 
the  time  of  the  first  numbering  at  Sinai  (Num.  3 : 
3,  32;  Exod.  28  :  i),  and  survivcd  to  conduct  the 
second  numbering  in  person. 

The  sentence,  which  had  been  given  from  the 
tent  of  meeting  to  Moses,  was  now  reported  to 
the  people,  and  they  were  greatly  exercised  at 
the  consequences  of  their  rebellion.  Their 
spirit,  however,  seems  not  to  have  been  that  of 
genuine  repentance,  but  rather  a  feverish  eager- 
ness to  undo  their  error  and  snatch  the  fleeting 
opportunity  just  vanishing  out  of  their  grasp. 
40.  They  rose  up  early  in  the  morning, 
and  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
i.  e.,  evidently  not  to  the  highest  summit,  but 
to  some  intermediate  spur  or  table-land,  as  the 
Amalekites  and  Canaanites  still  "came  down" 
(ver.  45)  to  meet  them  when  the  battle  occurred. 
They  offered  to  make  the  invasion  of  the  Prom- 
ised Land  at  once,  but  Moses  warned  them 
that  they  would  not  succeed.  He  assured  them 
that  Jehovah  was  no  longer  with  them  (ver.  41) ; 


they  had  turned  back  from  following  him,  so 
that  they  could  no  more  count  on  his  assist- 
ance. 44.  Nevertheless  they  presumed,  lit., 
made  a  swell,  to  go  up  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  but  the  ark  of  the  covenant  and 
Moses  stayed  in  the  camp.  This  idea  of  the 
ark  as  a  palladium  is  more  characteristic  of  the 
JE  source,  which  seems  to  be  drawn  upon  in 
this  section,  than  of  the  later  legislation  of  P, 
which  enjoins  a  more  elaborate  seclusion  of  the 
sacred  coffer  (see  on  10  :  33-36).  45.  Orphaned  of 
the  divine  assistance  as  the  people  were,  the 
Amalekite  and  Canaanite  came  down  . . .  and 
smote  them,  and  discomfited  them,  even 
unto  Hormah.  These  tribes,  which  Moses  in 
Deuteronomy  (1  :  44)  calls  by  the  more  general 
title  of  Amorites,  or  hill-country  men,  ai'e  said 
in  that  place  to  have  chased  them  as  bees  do  in 
Seir.  The  place  Hormah,  or  np"in,  Charmah, 
is  so  named  here  by  anticipation,  as  it  appar- 
ently did  not  receive  this  name  until  afterwards. 
It  was  formerly  called  Zephath  (Judg.  1  :  17),  and 
in  two  places  the  name  Charmah,  or  Place  of  the 
ban,  is  accounted  for  as  arising  from  the  fact  of 
its  utter  destruction  by  the  Israelites  as  provided 

for    (Lev.  27  :  28,  29  ;    Num.  21  :  3  ;    Judg.  1  •  17).       FrOlU 

the  apparent  resemblance  of  the  name  Zephath 
— which  is  not  very  clear,  however — ancient 
Hormah  has  been  conjecturally  identified  with 
Sebatah,  a  group  of  noble  ruins  in  the  Negeb 
about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  Kadesh. 


Chap.  15.  Laws  regarding  various  of- 
ferings. The  Sabbath-breaker.  The 
LAW  OF  "fringes."      1-16.  In  this  chapter 


60 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XV. 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land  of  your  habi- 
tations, which  I  give  unto  you, 

3  And  will  make  an  offering  by  fire  unto  the  Lord, 
a  burnt  offering,  or  a  sacrifice  in  performing  a  vow, 
or  in  a  freewill  offering,  or  in  your  solemn  feasts,  to 
make  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord,  of  the  herd,  or 
of  the  flock : 

4  Then  shall  he  that  offereth  his  offernig  unto  the 
Lord  bring  a  meat  offering  of  a  tenth  deal  of  flour 
mingled  with  the  fourth  pari  of  an  hin  of  oil. 

5  And  the  fourth  part  of  an  hin  of  wine  for  a 
drink  offering  shalt  thou  prepare  with  the  burnt 
offering  or  sacrifice,  for  one  lamb. 

6  Or  for  a  ram,  thou  shalt  prepare  for  a  meat 
offering  two  tenth  deals  of  flour  mingled  with  the 
third  part  of  an  hin  of  oil. 

7  And  for  a  drink  offering  thou  shalt  offer  the 
third  part  of  an  hin  of  wine,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto 
the  Lord. 

8  And  when  thou  preparest  a  bullock /or  a  burnt 
ottering,  or  for  a  sacrilice  in  performing  a  vow,  or 
peace  offerings  unto  the  Lord  : 

9  Then  shall  he  bring  with  a  bullock  a  meat  offer- 
ing of  three  tenth  deals  of  flour  mingled  with  half 
an  hin  of  oil. 

10  And  thou  shalt  bring  for  a  drink  offering  half 
an  hin  of  wine,  fur  an  offering  made  by  Are,  of  a 
sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

11  Thus  shall  it  be  done  for  one  bullock,  or  for 
one  ram,  or  for  a  lamb,  or  a  kid. 

12  According  to  the  number  that  ye  shall  pre- 
pare, so  shall  ye  do  to  every  one  according  to  their 
number. 

13  All  that  are  born  of  the  country  shall  do  these 
things  after  this  manner,  in  offering  an  offering 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

14  And  if  a  stranger  sojourn  with  you,  or  whoso- 
ever be  among  you  in  your  generations,  and  will 
offer  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto 
the  Lord  ;  as  ye  do,  so  he  shall  do. 

15  One  ordinance  shall  be  both  for  you  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  also  for  the  stranger  that  sojourneth 
with  you,  an  ordinance  for  ever  in  your  genera- 
tions": as  ye  are,  so  shall  the  stranger  be  before  the 
Lord. 

16  One  law  and  one  manner  shall  be  for  you,  and 
for  the  stranger  that  sojourneth  with  you. 


2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  be  come  into  the  land  of  your 

3  habitations,  which  I  give  unto  you,  and  will 
make  an  offering  by  fire  unto  the  Lord,  a  burnt 
offering,  or  a  sacrifice,  to  accomplish  a  vow,  or 
as  a  freewill  offering,  or  in  your  set  feasts,  to 
make  a  sweet  savour  unto  tlie  Lord,  of  the  herd, 

4  or  of  the  flock :  then  shall  he  that  offereth  his 
oblation  offer  unto  the  Lord  a  meal  offering  of  a 
tenth  part  of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour  mingled  with 

5  the  fourth  part  of  an  hin  of  oil :  and  wine  for 
the  drink  offering,  the  fourth  part  of  an  hin, 
shalt  thou  prepare  with  the  burnt  offering  or  for 

6  the  sacrifice,  for  each  lamb.  Or  for  a  ram,  thou 
shalt  prepare  for  a  meal  offering  two  tenth  parts 
of  an  ephah  of  fine  flour  mingled  with  the  third 

7  part  of  an  hin  of  oil :  and  for  the  drink  offering 
thou  shalt  offer  the  third  part  of  an  hin  of  wine, 

8  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord.  And  when 
thou  preparest  a  bullock  for  a  burnt  offering,  or 
for  a  sacrifice,  to  accomplish  a  vow,  or  for  peace 

9  offerings  unto  the  Lord  :  then  shall  he  offer  witli 
the  bullock  a  meal  offering  of  three  tenth  parts 
of  an  ephah  of  the  fine  flour  mingled  with  half 

10  an  hin  of  oil.  And  thou  shalt  offer  for  the  drink 
offering  half  an  hin  of  wine,  for  an  offering 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

11  Thus  shall  it  be  done  for  each  bullock,  or  for 
each  ram,  or  for  each  of  the  he-lambs,  or  of  the 

12  kids.  According  to  the  number  that  ye  shall 
prepare,  so  shall  ye  do  to  every  one  according 

13  to  their  number.  All  that  are  homeborn  shall 
do  these  things  after  this  manner,  in  offering  an 
offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the 

14  Lord.  And  if  a  stranger  sojourn  with  you,  or 
whosoever  be  among  you  throughout  your  gen- 
erations, and  will  offer  an  offering  made  by  fire, 
of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  as  ye  do,  so  he 

15  shall  do.  For  the  assembly,  there  shall  be  one 
statute  for  you,  and  for  the  stranger  that  so- 
journeth with  you,  a  statute  for  ever  throughout 
your  generations  :  as  ye  are,  so  shall  the  stranger 

16  be  before  the  Lord.  One  law  and  one  ordinance 
shall  be  for  you,  and  for  the  stranger  that 
sojourneth  with  you. 


I 


we  find  the  characteristic  style  and  theme  of 
the  priest-code  as  this  is  seen  predominantly 
all  through  Leviticus.  The  ordinances,  as  also 
in  various  places  in  that  book  (Lev.  19  :  23 ; 
23  :  10 ;  25  : 2 ;  etc.),  havc  explicit  reference  to  the 
time  when  the  people  shall  come  into  their 
land ;  but  so  dispassionately  does  the  chapter 
refer  to  that  time,  and  so  completely  does  it 
ignore  the  fact  that  the  whole  generation  has 
just  been  condemned  to  a  death  in  the  wilder- 
ness, that  it  seems  clear  that  it  could  not  have 
been  written  in  immediate  connection  with  the 
history  of  the  preceding  chapter,  but  was  rather 
inserted  from  some  other  source.  It  is  useless 
to  attempt  to  exhibit  any  close  or  necessary  con- 
nection of  thought  between  these  insertions  from 
the  priest-code  and  the  sequence  of  the  history 
in  which  they  occur. 

The  purpose  of  these  directions  seems  to  be  to 
supply  some  details  regarding  the  quantity  of  fine 
flour  and  wine  to  be  used  in  the  meal  and  drink 
offerings  which  belong  to  the  sacrifices  appro- 
priate for  the  fulfillment  of  vows  or  for  spon- 


taneous expressions  of  devotion.  It  seems  to  be 
taken  for  granted  thai,  the  coming  into  the  land 
where  oil  and  wine  may  be  had  will  naturally 
result  in  many  fervent  and  joyous  expressions 
of  this  kind.  When  the  meal  offering  is  de- 
scribed in  Lev.  2  there  is  no  mention  of  the 
drink  offering  or  libation,  though  some  scattered 
notices  (Exod.  29  :  40;  Lev.  23 :  13)  seem  to  indicate 
that  it  was  a  natural  accompaniment  of  the 
meal  offering.  In  this  place  the  definite  amount 
of  flour  and  wine  appropriate  for  each  offering 
of  a  lamb,  or  for  each  beast  in  the  larger  func- 
tions where  many  victims  are  offered  at  a  time, 
is  carefully  prescribed.  These  are :  for  a  lamb 
an  V"^^}!,  'issaron,  or  tenth  (of  an  ephah)  of 
fine  flour  mingled  with  a  fourth  of  a  hin  of  oil, 
with  a  libation  of  the  same  quantity  of  wine, 
these  being  the  amounts  prescribed  in  Exod. 
29  :  40  for  the  lamb  of  the  morning  and  evening 
sacrifice.  For  a  ram  the  flour  is  doubled,  while 
the  fraction  of  the  hin  of  wine  and  oil  is  one- 
third.  Three-tenths  of  flour  with  a  half-hin 
each  of  oil  and  wine  accompany  the  sacrifice 


Ch.  XV.] 


NUMBERS 


61 


17  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

18  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  come  into  the  laud  whither  I  bring 
you, 

19  Then  it  shall  be,  that,  when  ye  eat  of  the  bread 
of  the  laud,  ye  shall  ofter  up  an  heave  offering  unto 
the  Lord. 

20  Ye  shall  offer  up  a  cake  of  the  first  of  your 
dough  for  an  heave  offering :  as  ye  do  the  heave 
offering  of  the  threshiugfloor,  so  shall  ye  heave  it. 

21  Of  the  first  of  your  dough  ye  shall  give  unto 
the  Lord  an  heave  offering  in  your  generations. 

22  And  if  ye  have  erred,  and  not  observed  all 
these  commandments,  which  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
unto  Moses, 

23  Even  all  that  the  Lord  hath  commanded  you 
by  the  hand  of  Moses,  from  the  day  that  the  L(jrd 
commanded  Moses,  and  henceforward  among  your 
generations ; 

21  Then  it  shall  be,  if  ought  be  committed  by 
ignorance  without  the  knowledge  of  the  congrega- 
tion, that  all  the  congregation  shall  offer  one  young 
bullock  for  a  burnt  offering,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto 
the  Lord,  with  his  meatoffering,  and  his  drink  offer- 
ing, according  to  the  manner,  and  one  kid  of  the 
goats  for  a  sin  offering. 

25  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for 
all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  and 
it  shall  be  forgiven  them  ;  for  it  is  ignorance  :  and 
they  shall  bring  their  offering,  a  sacrifice  made  by 
fire  unto  the  Lord,  and  their  sin  offering  before  the 
Lord,  for  their  ignorance : 

26  And  it  shall  be  forgiven  all  the  congregation 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  and  tlie  stranger  that 
sojourneth  among  them  ;  seeing  all  the  people  were 
in  ignorance. 

27  And  if  any  soul  sin  through  ignorance,  then 
he  shall  bring  a  she  goat  of  the  first  year  for  a  sin 
offering. 

28  And  the  priest  shall  make  an  atonement  for 
the  soul  that  sinneth  ignorantly,  when  hesinneth 
by  ignorance  before  the  Lord,  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  him  ;  and  it  shall  be  forgiven  him. 


17  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

18  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them.  When  ye  come  into  the  land  whither  I 

19  bring  you,  then  it  shall  be,  that,  when  ye  eat  of 
the  bread  of  the  land,  ye  shall  offer  up  an  heave 

20  offering  unto  the  Lord.  Of  the  first  of  your 
dough  ye  shall  offer  up  a  cake  for  an  heave 
ottering:    as  ye  do  the  heave   offering  of  the 

21  threshing-floor,  so  shall  ye  heave  it.  Of  the  first 
of  your  dough  ye  shall  give  unto  the  Lord  an 
heave  ottering  throughout  your  generations. 

22  And  when  ye  shall  err,  and  not  observe  all 
these    commandments,   which  the    Lord    hath 

23  spoken  unto  Moses,  even  all  that  the  Lord  hath 
commanded  you  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  from  the 
day  that  the  Lord  gave  commandment,  and  on- 

24  ward  throughout  your  generations  ;  then  it  shall 
be,  if  it  be  done  unwittingly,  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  congregation,  that  all  the  congrega- 
tifjn  shall  offer  one  young  bullock  for  a  burnt 
ottering,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord,  with 
the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  the  drink  offering 
thereof,  according  to  the  ordinance,  and  one  he- 

25  goat  for  a  sin  offering.  And  the  priest  shall 
make  atonement  for  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  they  shall  be  forgiven ; 
for  it  was  an  error,  and  they  have  brought  their 
oblation,  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord, 
and  their  sin  offering  before  the  Lord,  for  their 

26  error:  and  all  the  congregation  of  the  children 
of  Israel  shall  be  forgiven,  and  the  stranger  that 
sojourneth  among  them ;   for  in  respect  of  all 

27  the  people  it  was  done  unwittingly.  And  if  one 
person  sin  unwittingly,  then  he  shall  offer  a  she- 

28  goat  of  the  first  year  for  a  sin  offering.  And  the 
priest  shall  make  atonement  for  the  soul  that 
erreth,  when  he  sinneth  unwittingly,  befure  the 
Lord,  to  make  atonement  for  him  ;  "and  he  shall 


of  a  bullock.  These  proportions  must  be  re- 
peated with  each  victim  when  many  are  offered 
in  a  series.  It  is  carefully  specified  that  this 
regulation  is  a  uniform  one,  not  only  for  the 
home-born,  but  for  foreigners  sojourning  among 
them  w^ho  may  Avish  to  fulfill  vows  or  otfer  free- 
will offerings  to  Jehovah. 

17-21.  The  first  realizing  of  the  products  of  the 
land  after  the  people's  entrance  thither  is  to  be 
signalized  by  the  offering  of  a  HD^IJ^,  t'riunah, 
or  heave  offering  to  Jehovah.  This  is  to  be  a  cake 
of  the  first  grits  or  coarse  meal  (^er.  20 ),  just  as 
in  the  case  of  the  t'rumah  of  the  threshing- 
floor,  which  is  alluded  to  as  well  known,  though 
mentioned  only  here.  The  ceremony  is  not  re- 
stricted to  the  first  harvest  after  entering  the 
land,  but  is  to  be  the  perpetual  custom  (ver.  21), 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  regard  to  newly 
planted  trees  a  peculiar  system  of  regarding  the 
fruit  as  uncircumcised  for  three  years,  and 
wholly  consecrated  for  one  year  more,  before  it 
could  be  eaten,  is  in.stituted  in  Lev.  19  :  23-25. 

22-31.  The  Pionjl,  t'rumoth,  were  the  per- 
quisite of  the  priests,  as  is  more  fully  set  forth 
in  the  eighteenth  chapter.  All  peace  offerings 
must  pay  the  tribute  of  the  right  thigh  as  a 


t'rumah  to  the  priest  (Lev.  7 :  32).  The  custom 
of  offering  first  fruits  was  enjoined  in  the  earliest 
legislation  (Exod.  23 :  19)  and  repeatedly,  and  this 
particular  offering  of  coarse  meal  is  referred  to 
in  Ezek.  44  :  30  and  Neh.  10  :  37. 

22-31.  This  section  seems  to  betray  a  con- 
sciousness on  the  part  of  the  legislator  that  the 
ordinances  are  becoming  somewhat  complex  and 
numerous  for  an  ordinary  person,  or  even  the 
whole  congregation,  to  be  sure  of  remembering  ; 
and  the  main  objective  point  seems  to  be  to  assure 
the  people  that  if  the  sin  is  unintentional  (ver.  24- 
29)  there  is  provision  for  atonement.  In  form  the 
enactment  starts  out  as  if  intended  to  cover  only 
sins  of  omission  (ver.  22)^  and  this  is  often  taken 
as  the  intended  distinction  from  the  legislation 
in  Lev.  4,  and  thus  as  explaining  the  slight  dif- 
ference in  the  victims  and  sacrifices  prescribed. 
The  main  difference  is  that  here  the  bullock  for 
the  congregation  is  prescribed  as  a  burnt  offer- 
ing, while  in  the  case  of  the  sin  of  the  anointed 
priest  (Lev.  4  :  3,  seq.),  or  of  the  whole  congrega- 
tion (ibid.,  13,  seq.),  according  to  Leviticus,  the 
bullock  is  to  be  offered  as  a  sin  offering.  It  is 
questionable,  however,  whether  this  restriction 
to  sins  of  omission  is  intended  throughout  (see 


62 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XV. 


29  Ye  shall  have  one  law  for  him  that  sinneth 
through  ignorance,  both  for  him  that  is  born  among 
the  children  of  Israel,  and  for  the  stranger  that 
sojourneth  among  tliem. 

30  But  the  soul  that  doeth  ought  presumptuously, 
whether  he  he  born  in  the  land,  or  a  stranger,  the 
same  reproacheth  the  Lord  ;  and  that  soul  shall  be 
cut  off  from  among  his  people. 

31  Because  he  hath  despised  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  and  hath  broken  his  commandment,  that 
soul  shall  utterly  be  cut  off;  his  iniquity  shall  he 
upon  him. 

32  And  while  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  the 
wilderness,  they  found  a  man  that  gathered  sticks 
upon  the  sabbath  day. 

33  And  they  that  found  him  gathering  sticks 
brought  him  unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  unto  all 
the  congregation. 

34  And  they  put  him  in  ward,  because  it  was  not 
declared  what  should  be  done  to  him. 

35  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  The  man  shall 
be  surely  put  to  death  :  all  the  congregation  shall 
stone  hi'm  with  stones  without  the  camp. 

36  And  all  the  congregation  brought  him  with- 
out the  camp,  and  stoned  him  with  stones,  and  he 
died  ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 


29  be  forgiven.  Ye  shall  have  one  law  for  him  that 
doeth  aught  unwittingly,  fur  him  that  is  home- 
born  among  the  childiyu  of  Isiael,  and  for  the 

30  stranger  that  sojourneth  among  them.  But  the 
soul  that  doeth  aught  with  an  high  hand, 
whether  he  be  homeborn  or  a  stranger,  the 
same   blasphemeth    the    Lord ;    and    that   soul 

31  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  his  people.  Because 
he  hath  despised  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  hath 
broken  his  commandment ;  that  soul  shall  ut- 
terly be  cut  off,  his  iniquity  shall  be  upon  him. 

32  And  while  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  the 
wilderness,  they  found  a  man  gathering  sticks! 

33  upon  the  sabbath  day.  And  they  that  found! 
him  gathering  sticks  brought  him  unto  Moses 

34  and  Aaron,  and  unto  all  the  congregation.  And 
they  put  him  in  ward,  because  it  had  not  been 

35  declared  what  should  be  done  to  him.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  The  man  shall  surely  be 
put  to  death :  all  the  congregation  shall  stone 

36  him  with  stones  without  the  camp.  And  all  the] 
congregation  brought  him  without  the  camp,' 
and  stoned  him  with  stones,  and  he  died  ;  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 


Ter.  24, 27,  29)  ^  as  a  popular  provision  for  a  pure 
negative  would  be  somewhat  difficult  to  main- 
tain or  enforce.  It  is  more  likely  that  the 
passage  here  and  that  in  Leviticus  represent 
slightly  diflerent  strata  of  legislation,  this  being 
inserted  especially  to  emphasize  the  distinction 
between  sins  of  error  and  sins  of  presumption. 
For  sins  of  error  only  is  the  provision  made ; 
while  for  the  one  who  commits  sin  with  a  "  high 
hand"  (ver.  so)  there  remains  only  the  stern 
penalty  of  cutting  ofi'  from  among  the  people, 
as  the  presumptuous  sin  is  constructive  blas- 
phemy. The  commandment  is  asserted  to  be 
binding    for    home-born    and    foreigner    alike 

(ver.  29,  30). 

This  legal  principle  that  a  transgression  must 
be  strictly  a  sin  of  error  or  ignorance  in  order 
to  be  accessible  to  remission  appears  to  have 
become  very  deeply  ingrained  into  Jewish 
thought ;  so  that  even  the  unlearned  Peter,  in 
calling  to  repentance  those  who  had  been  parties 
to  the  death  of  Christ,  grounds  his  gospel  of 
remission  on  the  consideration  that  they  had 
done  it  ^aTa  ayvoiav^  or  through  ignorance  (Acts 
3 :  IT).  In  this  incident  we  may  perhaps  catch 
a  glimpse  of  an  interesting  fact  in  human 
nature,  exemplified  in  Jewish  progress  between 
the  time  of  this  legislation  and  that  of  Christ 
and  paralleled  in  the  legal  history  of  other  na- 
tions. This  is,  that  as  human  feeling  becomes 
milder,  laws  which,  though  remaining  in  force, 
become  too  harsh  for  public  sentiment  to  tolerate 
are  often  evaded  or  made  consistent  with  more 
merciful  treatment  by  the  device  of  liberal  in- 
terpretation. Thus  in  England,  long  before  the 
law  which  prescribed  the  death  penalty  for 
petty  theft  was  repealed,  juries  would  take 
care,  though  often  absurdly,  to  estimate  the 


amount  of  the  theft  at  less  than  the  fatal  limit 
in  order  to  save  the  life  of  the  culprit.  In  a 
similar  way  we  may  perhaps  see  that  among 
the  Jews  this  harsh  law  that  every  transgression 
not  strictly  in  error  should  be  punished  by 
death  became  modified  by  a  liberal  interpreta- 
tion of  what  constituted  error.  At  least  Peter 
must  have  been  accustomed  to  a  very  liberal 
understanding  of  the  matter  to  be  able  to  con- 
cede that  not  only  the  people  but  also  their 
rulers,  those  men  who  had  so  deliberately  set 
about,  by  corrupting  his  disciples,  and  even 
by  employing  false  testimony,  to  compass  the 
death  of  Christ,  had  done  the  deed  through 
ignorance. 

32-36.  The  introduction  of  this  incident  by 
the  note  oftime,  while  the  children  of  Israel 
were  in  the  wilderness,  not  only  marks  it 
as  an  isolated  event  picked  out  from  among  the 
occurrences  of  the  forty  years'  wandering,  but 
also  stamps  it  as  the  utterance  of  an  author  who 
was  not  himself  in  the  wilderness  at  the  time  of 
writing.  It  appears  to  be  an  example  of  the 
high-handed  sin  for  which  there  was  no  atone- 
ment,  or    the    constructive    blasphemy  whose 

penalty   was  stoning    (cf.   John   S   :   59;    Acts   7   :   58), 

The  penalty  for  Sabbath-breaking  is  in  other 
places  prescribed  as  cutting  ofl*  from  among  the 
people,  or  death  (Exod.  31  :  u;  35  : 2),  but  the  pre- 
caution of  putting  the  man  in  custody  until 
some  decision  could  be  obtained  regarding  him 
would  be  necessary  in  order  to  determine  th^i 
precise  degree  of  presumption  in  his  case,  and 
so  whether  it  was  a  crime  subject  to  the  punish- 
ment of  blasphemy.  Jehovah's  direction  to 
Moses  was  that  the  man  should  be  stoned  wnth 
stones  by  the  whole  congregation,  a  form  of 
punishment  which,  as  it  employed  all  the  people 


Oh.  XVI.  ] 


NtTMBER^ 


63 


37  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

38  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  bid 
them  that  they  make  tham  fringes  in  the  borders 
of  their  garments  throughout  their  generations, 
and  that  they  put  upon  die  fringe  of  the  borders  a 
ribband  of  blue: 

39  And  it  shall  be  unto  you  for  a  fringe,  that  ye 
may  look  upon  it,  and  remember  all  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord,  and  do  them  ;  and  that  ye  seek 
not  after  your  own  heart  and  your  own  eyes,  after 
which  ye  use  to  go  a  whoring  : 

40  That  ye  may  remember,  and  do  all  my  com- 
mandments, and  be  holy  unto  your  God. 

41  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which  brought  you 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  be  your  God  :  I  am  the 
Lord  your  God. 


37  And    the    Lord    spake    unto   Moses,    saying, 

38  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  bid  them 
that  they  make  them  fringes  in  the  borders  of 
their  garments  throughout  their  generations, 
and  that  they  put  upon  the  fringe  of  each  bor- 

39  der  a  cord  of  blue  :  and  it  shall  be  unto  you  for 
a  fringe,  that  ye  may  look  upon  it,  and  remem- 
ber all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  and  do 
them  ;  and  that  ye  go  not  about  after  your  own 
heart  and  your  own  eyes,  and  after  which  ye 

40  use  to  go  a  whoring :  that  ye  may  remember 
and  do  all  my  commandments,   and    be  holy 

41  unto  your  God.  I  am  the  Lord  your  God,  which 
brought  you  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  to  be  your 
God :  I  am  the  Lord  your  God. 


as  executioners,  called  out  the  most  widespread 
interest  possible  in  the  enforcing  of  law  and 
order. 

37-41.  The  translation  of  this  passage  as  it  is 
found  in  the  Revised  version  is  more  faithful  to 
the  Hebrew.  A  command  similar  to  this  is  given 
also  in  Deut.  22  :  12,  though  with  a  diiferent 
word  for  "fringe."  Much  care  and  ingenuity- 
were  expended  by  the  Jews  on  the  construction 
of  these  fringes  or  tassels.  They  so  arranged 
the  threads  and  knots  as  to  set  forth  symbol- 
ically the  six  hundred  and  thirteen  precepts  of 
which  the  law  was  believed  to  consist.  The  or- 
dinary Jewish  outer  garment  was  a  square  piece 
of  cloth,  something  like  a  plaid,  and  the  tassels 
were  attached  to  each  of  the  four  corners.  In 
later  times,  as  the  fashion  of  dress  changed,  a 
smaller  piece  of  cloth  called  the  tallith  was  sub- 
stituted and  worn  as  an  undergarment.  It  is 
still  used  in  the  synagogue.  Apparently  our 
Lord  wore  an  outer  garment  with  a  Kpao-TreSoi/^  or 
fringe,  which  the  people  were  eager  to  touch 
as  a  conveyer  of  healing  power  (Matt.  9  :  20;  14  : 
36;  Mark  6  :  56) ;  and  the  Pharisccs  in  his  time 
were  accustomed  to  make  these  tassels  or  fringes 
on  their  garments  very  large  in  token  of  their 
peculiar  strictness  or  sanctity  (Matt.  23 : 5). 

The  reason  given  for  the  use  of  these  tassels  is 
that  the  wearers  may  look  upon  them  and  be 
reminded  of  the  commandments  of  Jehovah 
(ver.  39)  J  and  especially  that  their  attention 
might  be  kept  at  home  instead  of  their  "  spying 
out"  after  their  own  heart  as  those  that  are  led 
into  impure  desires  by  inflaming  sights.  The 
verb  used  is  the  same  as  that  which  describes 
the  act  of  the  spies  in  exploring  the  Promised 
Land.  Their  high  privilege  and  obligation  of 
being  a  holy  people,  a  people  whose  God  was 
Jehovah  the  deliverer  from  Egypt,  was  thus 
constantly  kept  before  them.  It  became  like 
the  badge  of  an  order,  calculated  to  remind  the 
people  that  they  had  something  to  live  up  to, 
and  thus  to  foster  and  develop  the  esprit  of  the 
nation. 


Chap.  16.  Rebellion  of  Korah,  Da- 
THAN,  AND  Abiram.  The  Company,  the  mo- 
tives, and  the  places  and  manners  of  punish- 
ment in  this  extensive  uprising  are  so  obviously 
diverse  and  so  easily  separable  that  modern 
critics  very  confidently  discover  two  or  perhaps 
three  narratives  combined  in  this  chapter.  That 
the  main  basis  of  this  and  the  following  chapter, 
which  belongs  with  it,  is  priestly  is  apparent; 
the  attack  of  Korah  and  his  company  is  pri- 
marily upon  the  priestly  prerogatives  enjoyed 
by  the  tribe  of  Levi,  or  the  family  of  Aaron ; 
and  the  result  of  the  total  vindication  of  the  di- 
vine Levitical  arrangement  is  a  very  wholesome 
dread  on  the  part  of  the  lay  congregation  for  the 
awful  sanctities  of  the  tabernacle  (see  n  :  12, 13). 
As  an  account  of  a  rebellion  of  laymen  against 
the  exclusive  privileges  of  the  priesthood  the 
narrative  moves  in  the  sphere  of  P.  A  further 
differentiation  is  made  in  the  P  element  by 
which  a  part,  designated  as  P^  (see  ver.  s-ii,  se-io), 
is  distinguished  as  making  the  rebellion  a  move- 
ment of  the  Levites  or  inferior  priests  against 
the  family  of  Aaron,  i.  e.,  a  schism  in  the 
priestly  body  itself.  But  aside  from  this  strife 
over  sacerdotal  privileges  there  appears  to  be, 
on  the  part  of  Dathan  and  Abiram,  a  dissatis- 
faction with  Moses  as  a  civil  ruler  (see  ver.  13) ; 
and  these  men  appear  to  be  punished  in  their 
own  tents,  instead  of  at  the  sanctuary,  and  for 
contumacy  rather  than  for  presuming  to  offer 
incense.  They  do  not  seem  to  have  been  guilty 
of  sacrilege ;  they  were  rebellious.  This  causes 
the  critics  to  assign  the  parts  relating  to  these 
Reubenites  to  JE.  Thus  Driver  says:  "In 
JE  Dathan  and  Abiram,  Reubenites,  give  vent 
to  their  dissatisfaction  Avith  Jfoses,  complain- 
ing (ver.  14)  that  his  promises  have  been  un- 
fulfilled, and  resenting  the  authority  (13'')  and 
judgeship  (15^)  possessed  by  him:  they,  with 
their  tents  and  households,  are  swallowed  up 
by  the  earth  (ver.  27-34).  This  is  a  rebellion 
of  laymen  against  the  civil  authority  claimed 
by  Moses." 


64 


KUMBERS 


[Ch.  XVI. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


1  NOW  Korah,  the  son  of  Izhar,  the  son  of  Ko- 
hath,  the  son  of  Levi,  and  Dathan  and  Abiram, 
the  sons  of  Eliab,  and  On,  the  son  of  Peleth,  sons 
of  Reuben,  tookmevt; 

2  And  they  rose  up  before  Moses,  with  certain  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
princes  of  the  assembly,  famous  in  the  congrega- 
tion, men  of  renown : 


1  NOW  Korah,  the  son  of  Izhar,  the  son  of  Ko- 
hath,  the  son  of  Levi,  with  Dathan  and  Abiram. 
the  sons  of  Eliab,  and  On,  the  son  of  Peleth, 

2  sons  of  Reuben,  took  men :  and  they  rose  up  be- 
fore Moses,  with  certain  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, two  hundred  and  fifty  princes  of  the  con- 
gregation,   called    to    the    assembly,    men    of 


1-3.  There  is  no  doubt  evidence  of  more  or 
less  compilation  and  redaction  in  this  account ; 
but  whether  the  whole  is  a  badly  welded  narra- 
tive of  two  or  three  separate  rebellions  confused 
with  each  other,  or  whether  it  is  a  history  of  one 
widespread  uprising  of  the  theoretically  conse- 
crated people  against  the  priests,  headed  and 
perhaps  instigated  by  Korah  who  presented 
their  plea  as  their  advocate  and  yet  had  ulte- 
rior aims  of  his  own,  will  be  considered  as  we 
examine  the  variant  passages  more  in  detail. 

The  chief  instigator,  or  informing  spirit,  of 
this  rebellion,  from  whom  it  always  takes  its 
name,  was  Korah,  who  belonged  to  that  family 
of  the  Levitical  tribe  which  was  concerned  with 
the  care  of  the  most  holy  furniture  of  the  taber- 
nacle— the  family  of  Kohath.  To  this  family 
also  belonged  Moses  and  Aaron,  who  were  of 
the  branch  of  Amram,  while  Korah  came  of  the 
next  brother  Izhar  (cf.  Exod.  6  .-  is).  Korah  was 
therefore  near  enough  to  the  priestly  dignity  to 
aspire  to  a  place  in  the  front  rank ;  and  as  he 
saw  the  priesthood  becoming  legally  restricted 
and  fixed  in  the  family  of  Aaron  he  felt  that  the 
remaining  Levites  had  reason  for  discontent. 
It  is  to  be  noted  that  previous  to  the  time  of 
Deuteronomy  the  rigid  distinction  between 
priests  and  Levites  does  not  appear  always  to 
have  been  clearly  maintained  (see  on  3  :  5-10) ; 
and  this  account  of  Korah 's  rebellion  may  well 
be  taken  as  reflecting  the  dissatisfaction  which 
arose  when  the  Levites — whatever  time  that 
may  have  been  in  Israelitish  history — found 
themselves  being  relegated  to  the  position  of 
subordinate  temple  militia. 

It  is  this  dissatisfaction  at  being  a  subordinate 
priest  which  the  penetrating  Moses  detects  in 
Korah  as  his  personal  motive  in  stirring  up  the 
rebellion  (see  ver.  8-11).  But  like  all  masterful 
and  ambitious  men  Korah  has  his  company 
whom  he  makes  his  tools  to  help  him  into 
power;  and  these  he  has  fired  with  a  quite  dif- 
ferent and  more  popular  dissatisfaction.  Ko- 
rah's  more  immediate  company  consists  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  (ver.  2)  who  are  princes 
and  prominent  men  in  the  tribes,  not  all  Le- 
vites, as  may  easily  be  inferred  from  such  pas- 
sages as  27  :  3,  where  Manassites  find  it  necessary 


to  deny  complicity  with  the  sedition.  Rather 
loosely  joined  with  these,  and  treated  in  the  nar- 
rative almost  as  a  separate  company,  are  Da- 
than and  Abiram,  descendants  through  Eliab 
of  Reuben,  and  On,  who  is  not  again  mentioned, 
also  a  Reubenite  and  a  son  of  Peleth,  perhaps 
the  same  as  Pallu  (Gen.  46  :  9)  who  was  the  father 
of  Eliab  (Num.  26  :  8).  Thcsc  Reubenites  could 
be  most  easily  bent  to  Korah' s  purpose  as  their 
ancestor  Reuben  was  the  firstborn  of  Israel,  and 
no  doubt  his  descendants  felt  that  his  rights  of 
primogeniture  were  being  invaded.  The  mag- 
istracy had  been  assumed  by  Moses,  and  the 
priesthood,  which  now  in  the  completed  taber- 
nacle was  assuming  a  dignity  and  glory  worth 
contending  for,  was  restricted  to  the  tribe  of 
Levi — and  where  did  the  firstborn  come  in? 
The  rejection  of  Reuben,  as  based  on  Jacob's 
dying  oracle  (Gen.  49  :  4)^  was  probably  not  yet 
known,  or  at  least  not  acquiesced  in ;  and  that 
oracle  itself  reflected  the  ideas  of  a  time  when 
Levi's  contrasted  destiny  was  thought  of  more 
as  a  penal  denial  of  land  inheritance  (Gen.  49  : 7) 
than  as  a  dignity  or  headship  which  Reuben 
had  any  reason  to  envy. 

These  men  under  the  leadership  of  Korah 
held  a  meeting  and  presented  their  complaint 
against  Moses  and  Aaron.  Their  grievance 
was  that  those  leaders  were  usurping,  especially 
in  the  prerogatives  of  the  temple  service,  a  dig- 
nity which  belonged  to  the  whole  congregation. 
The  whole  body  of  the  people  were  theoretically 
Jehovah's  priests  (Exod.  i9  =  5,  e),  and  that  Jeho- 
vah was  among  them  had  been  not  only  often 
asserted,  but  was  especially  emphasized  in  that 
outbreak  of  prophecy  at  Kibroth-Hattaawah 
(11  :  25,  26).  The  heart  of  the  contention,  no 
doubt,  was  that  the  function  of  worship  ought 
to  be  a  family  matter,  and  that  in  providing  an 
exclusively  dedicated  sanctuary  and  a  formal 
ritual  Moses  and  Aaron  were  seeking  to  enhance 
their  own  dignity  and  keep  others  down.  That 
the  provision  of  orderly  worship  for  the  whole 
nation  meant  taking  away  the  right  of  praying 
to  God  from  individuals  and  families  was,  no 
doubt,  a  misunderstanding,  and  the  whole  con- 
tention in  regard  to  worship  is  strikingly  like 
Miriam's  contention  regarding  prophecy  (12 :  2), 


Ch.  XVI.] 


NUMBERS 


65 


3  And  they  gathered  themselves  together  against 
Moses  and  against  Aaron,  and  said  unto  them,  Ye 
take  too  mucli  upon  you,  seeing  all  the  congrega- 
tion are  holy,  every  one  of  them,  and  the  Lord  is 
among  them  :  wherefore  then  lift  ye  up  yourselves 
above  the  congregation  of  the  Lord  ? 

4  And  when  Moses  heard  it,  he  fell  upon  his  face  : 

5  And  he  spake  unto  Korah  and  unto  all  his 
company,  saying,  Even  to  morrow  the  Lord  will 
shew  who  are  his,  and  who  is  holy  ;  and  will  cause 
him  to  come  near  unto  him :  even  him  whom  he 
hath  chosen  will  he  cause  to  come  near  unto  him. 

G  This  do ;  Take  you  censers,  Korah,  and  all  his 
company ; 

7  And  put  fire  therein,  and  put  incense  in  them 
before  the  Lord  to  morrow  :  and  it  shall  be  that  the 
man  whom  the  Lord  doth  choose,  he  shall  be  holy : 
ye  take  too  much  upon  you,  ye  sons  of  Levi. 

8  And  Moses  said  unto  Korah,  Hear,  I  pray  you, 
ye  sons  of  Levi : 

9  Seemeth  it  but  a  small  thing  unto  you,  that  the 
God  of  Israel  hath  separated  you  from  the  congre- 
gation of  Israel,  to  bring  you  near  to  himself  to  do 
the  service  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  and  to 
stand  before  the  congregation  to  minister  unto 
them? 

10  And  he  hath  brought  thee  near  to  him,  and  all 
thy  brethren  the  sons  of  Levi  with  thee:  and  seek 
ye  the  priesthood  also? 

11  For  which  cause  both  thou  and  all  thy  com- 
pany are  gathered  together  against  the  Lord :  and 
what  is  Aaron,  that  ye  murmur  against  him? 


3  renown :  and  they  assembled  themselves  to- 
gether against  Moses  and  against  Aaron,  and 
said  unto  them.  Ye  take  too  much  upon  you, 
seeing  all  the  congregation  are  holy,  every  one 
of  them,  and  the  Lord  is  among  them :  where- 
fore then  lift  ye  up  yourselves  above  the  assem- 

4  bly  of  the  Lord  ?    And  when  Moses  heard  it,  he 

5  fell  upon  his  face :  and  he  spake  unto  Korah 
and  unto  all  his  company,  saying.  In  the  morn- 
ing the  Lord  will  shew  who  are  his,  and  who  is 
holy,  and  will  cause  him  to  come  near  unto 
him :  even  him  whom  he  shall  choose  will  he 

6  cause  to  come  near  unto  him.    This  do ;  take 

7  you  censers,  Korah,  and  all  lus  company ;  and 
put  fire  therein,  and  put  incense  upon  them  be- 
fore the  Lord  to-morrow :  and  it  shall  be  that 
the  man  whom  the  Lord  doth  choose,  he  shatl 
be  holy :  ye  take  too  much  upon  you,  ye  sons  (jf 

8  Levi.    And  Moses  said  unto  Korah,  Hear  now, 

9  ye  sons  of  Levi :  seemeth  it  but  a  small  tiling  unto 
you,  that  the  God  of  Israel  hath  separated  you 
from  the  congregation  of  Israel,  to  bring  you 
near  to  himself ;  to  do  the  service  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  Lord,  and  to  stand  before  the  con- 

10  gregation  to  minister  unto  them ;  and  that  he 
hath  brought  thee  near,  and  all  thy  brethren 
the  sons  of  Levi  with  thee?  and  seek  ye  the 

11  priesthood  also?  Therefore  thou  and  all  thy 
company  are  gathered  together  against  the 
Lord :  and  Aaron,  what  is  he  that  ye  murmur 


where  a  function  which  Moses  had  expressly 
wished  might  be  exercised  by  all  (n  =  29)  was 
taken  as  monopolized  by  Moses.  Like  Miriam's 
contention  too,  this  charge  was  actuated  by 
envy,  for  if  the  people  had  been  pure-hearted, 
they  could  have  seen  that  by  the  maintenance 
of  an  exclusively  holy  sanctuary  and  priesthood 
for  the  standard  public  worship,  no  essential 
privilege  was  being  taken  from  them  except  the 
privilege  of  relatively  exalted  position.  In  this 
insistence  on  the  priestly  privileges  of  the  whole 
congregation  Dathan  and  Abiram  no  doubt 
sympathized,  though  they  were  probably  not 
present  at  the  meeting  (ver.  12).  They  were,  per- 
haps, preparing  to  olier  a  minchah  (ver.  is),  in- 
tended to  operate  to  the  disparagement  of  the 
public  sacrifices,  and  possibly  they  had,  along 
with  Korah,  set  up  a  kind  of  rival  tabernacle  in 
their  own  part  of  the  camp  (see  ver.  24, 27). 

In  this  connection  it  is  worth  while  to  notice 
the  grammatical  puzzle  which  occurs  in  the  first 
verse.  In  the  Hebrew  the  chapter  begins,  And 
took,  meaning  that  Korah  and  his  company 
took  something,  but  no  object  of  the  verb  is 
given,  the  word  men  in  our  Authorized  and 
Revised  versions  being  supplied.  Various  com- 
pletions of  the  sense  have  been  conjecturally 
furnished ;  the  LXX  puts  it,  a7id  talked ;  and 
some  have  thought  the  missing  object  of  "  took  " 
ought  to  be  counsel,  and  have  pointed  out  that 
Korah  and  the  Eeubenites  were  located  com- 
paratively near  each  other  on  the  south  side  of 
the  camp,  so  that  they  could  easily  confer  with 
each  other.     But  considering  that  a  presumptu- 


ous oiFering  on  their  part  is  indicated  in  ver.  15, 
why  may  not  the  missing  object  be  conjectured 
to  be  minchah  f  According  to  this  understand- 
ing, these  men  took  an  offering  as  their  first 
overt  act  of  rebellion  and  as  a  concrete  indica- 
tion that  they  claimed  the  right  to  do  so,  and  then 
assembled  themselves  against  Moses  and  Aaron 
in  order  to  justify  and  defend  the  movement. 

4-11.  The  first  act  of  Moses  when  this  charge 
of  self-aggrandizement  was  sprung  upon  him  was 
to  throw  himself  upon  his  face,  to  signify,  as  he 
also  expressly  indicates  in  ver.  11,  that  the  ques- 
tion is  one  of  divine  arrangement  rather  than 
of  human  ambition.  But  he  has  the  penetration 
to  see  that  Korah  is  not  really  contending  for  an 
open  priesthood,  that  is  to  say,  for  the  aboli- 
tion of  the  hierarchy,  but  is  really  challenging 
the  title  of  Aaron  to  an  exclusive  dignity  which 
he  would  gladly  perpetuate  and  hold.  The  only 
way  to  decide  this  title  is  to  submit  the  question 
to  the  decision  of  Jehovah,  and  the  test  proposed 
is  the  act  of  ofiering  incense  before  Jehovah  in 
competition,  on  the  part  of  Korah's  company 
and  Aaron  respectivelj'^,  for  the  resultant  signs 
of  his  approval.  This  was  the  act  which  had 
proved  so  disastrous  to  Nadab  and  Abihu  (Lev. 
10  : 1. 2),  and  in  consenting  to  this  test  Korah 
was  consistently  and  presumptuously  standing 
by  an  unbelief  which  had  asserted  that  the 
tenure  of  Aaron's  priesthood  was  that  of  human 
ambition  rather  than  of  divine  appointment. 

In  ver.  8-11,  which  the  critics  take  to  belong 
to  another  stratum  of  priestly  thought,  Moses 
reminds  Korah  that  as  one  of  the  favored  Levites 


£ 


ee 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XVI. 


12  And  Moses  sent  to  call  Dathan  and  Abiram,  the 
sons  of  Eliab  :  wtiich  said,  We  will  not  come  up : 

13  Is  it  a  small  thing  that  thou  hast  brought  us 
up  out  of  a  land  that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey, 
to  kill  us  in  the  wilderness,  except  thou  make  thy- 
self altogether  a  prince  over  us? 

14  Moreover  thou  hast  not  brought  us  into  a  land 
that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey,  or  given  us  in- 
heritance of  fields  and  vineyards :  wilt  thou  put  out 
the  eyes  of  these  men  ?  we  will  not  come  up. 

15  And  Moses  was  very  wroth,  and  said  unto  the 
Lord,  Respect  not  thou  their  offering :  I  have  not 
taken  one  ass  from  them,  neither  have  I  hurt  cue 
of  tiiem. 

16  And  Moses  said  unto  Korah,  Be  thou  and  all 
thy  company  before  the  Lord,  thou,  and  tiiey,  and 
Aaron,  to  morrow  : 

17  And  take  every  man  his  censer,  and  put  in- 
cense in  them,  and  bring  ye  before  the  Lord  every 
man  his  censer,  two  hundred  and  fifty  censers ; 
thou  also,  and  Aaron,  each  of  you  his  censer. 

18  And  they  took  every  man  his  censer,  and  put 
fire  in  them,  and  laid  incense  thereon,  and  stood 
in  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation 
with  Moses  and  Aaron. 

19  And  Korah  gathered  all  the  congregation 
against  them  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 


12  against  him?  And  Moses  sent  to  call  Dathan 
and  Abiram,  the  sons  of  Eliab :  and  they  said, 

13  We  will  not  come  up:  is  it  a  small  thing  that 
thou  hast  brought  us  up  out  of  a  land  flowing 
with  milk  and  honey,  to  kill  us  in  the  wilder- 
ness, but  thou  must  needs  make  thyself  also  a 

14  prince  over  us  ?  Moreover  thou  hast  not  brought 
us  into  a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  nor 
given  us  inheritance  of  fields  and  vineyards: 
wilt  thou  put  out  the  eyes  of  these  men?  we  will 

15  not  come  up.  And  Moses  was  very  wroth,  and 
said  unto  the  Lord,  Respect  not  thou  their  offer- 
ing :  I  have  not  taken  one  ass  from  them,  neither 

16  have  I  hurt  one  of  them.  And  Moses  said  unto 
Korah,  Be  thou  and  all  thy  congregation  before 
the  Lord,  thou,  and  they,  and  Aaron,  to-morrow  : 

17  and  take  ye  every  man  his  censer,  and  put  in- 
cense upon  them,  and  bring  ye  before  the  Lord 
every  man  his  censer,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
censers ;  thou  also,  and  Aaron,  each  his  censer. 

18  And  they  took  every  man  his  censer,  and  put 
fire  in  them,  and  laid  incense  thereon,  and 
stood  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting  with 

19  Moses  and  Aaron.  And  Korah  assembled  all 
the  congregation  against  them  unto  the  door  of 


he  already  holds  special  privileges  by  express 
divine  appointment,  and  that  really  there  is 
nothing  more  for  him  to  seek  except  the  priest- 
hood. He  retorts  in  Korah' s  own  words  (see 
ver.  3)  that  the  Levites  rather  than  he  are  taking 
too  much  upon  themselves.  The  impiety  of 
their  act  is  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  they  are 
already  the  objects  of  special  divine  favor,  and 
this  fact  ought  to  place  them  in  a  position  to  see 
that  it  is  not  merely  Aaron  their  fellow  in  de- 
pendence on  God's  will,  but  Jehovah  himself 
whom  they  are  resisting. 

12-15.  Dathan  and  Abiram  seem  to  have 
remained  in  their  tents  nursing  their  discontent 
in  a  more  sullen,  and  withal  more  secular  way. 
It  appears  from  ver.  15  that  these  men  had 
done  the  most  of  overt  and  defiant  exercising  of 
priestly  functions  as  laymen,  while  Korah  only 
laid  claim  as  a  pretext  to  the  right  which  they 
went  on  and  assumed.  Invited  by  Moses  to  the 
conference  and  test  at  the  tent  of  meeting,  they 
refused  to  come  up,  alleging  as  their  reason  a 
dissatisfaction  with  Moses'  chimerical  schemes 
and  domineering  methods  (ver.  i3)  and  a  distrust 
of  his  specious  ways  of  covering  up  his  failures 
(ver.  14).  He  had  not  kept  his  promise  of  bring- 
ing them  to  a  land  of  plenty  and  he  was  now 
seeking  to  divert  their  attention  from  the  real 
"seriousness  of  the  situation.  By  the  expression, 
wilt  thou  put,  or  bore,  out  the  eyes  of 
these  men?  (ver.  i4)  they  perhaps  meant  to 
hint  that  by  getting  Korah  and  his  company  up 
to  the  tent  of  meeting  where  he  was  at  home 
with  his  thaumaturgical  methods  and  appli- 
ances, he  would  succeed  in  blinding  them,  or, 
throtoing  dust  in  their  eyes — to  translate  into  our 
familiar  idiom — so  that  these  dupes  would  be 


persuaded  that  there  was  nothing  wrong.  For 
tlieir  own  part  they  were  going  to  keep  out  of 
the  range  of  his  subtleties. 

The  charge  that  he  was  attempting  to  "play 
the  lord"  over  them  (ver.  is)  made  Moses  very 
angry  for,  conscious  of  his  own  meekness 
(12:3)^  he  felt  keenly  its  injustice.  He  could 
profess  before  God  that  he  had  never  practised 
any  of  the  arts  of  the  despot  either  in  the  way 
of  extortion  or  injury  (ver.  is).  Moreover  there 
was  apparent  some  great  preparation  for  a  spec- 
tacular sacrifice  which,  if  it  were  to  succeed, 
would  operate  greatly  to  the  detriment  of  the 
dignity  and  influence  of  the  sanctuary.  Moses 
fervently  prayed  that  this  impious  ofiering 
might  elicit  no  signs  of  the  divine  approval. 
Just  as  a  contentious  and  rebellious  claim  to  the 
right  of  prophesying  is  visited  with  the  pun- 
ishment of  leprosy  (chap,  u)^  so  the  presenting 
of  a  meal  offering  in  a  manner  and  spirit  sub- 
versive of  authority  could  safely  be  accorded 
only  rejection ;  though  in  neither  case  is  it 
necessarily  implied  that  no  one  may  speak  in 
God's  name  or  approach  him  with  gifts  except 
those  duly  constituted  by  forms  of  investiture. 

16-35.  Moses  repeats  in  detail  the  directions, 
given  in  ver.  6,  7,  for  a  conference  of  the  parties 
concerned,  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  repre- 
senting the  ideal  right  of  all  the  people  to  ofier 
incense,  Korah  representing  the  right  of  the 
Levites  to  discharge  the  highest  priestly  func- 
tions, and  Aaron  alone  on  the  other  side  as  the 
representative  of  the  divinely  constituted  priest- 
hood. The  directions  are  carried  out,  Korah 
taking  pains  to  assemble  the  whole  congrega- 
tion to  witness  the  great  trial  (ver.  i9).  Up  to 
this  point  there  is  no  express  mention  of  divine 


Ch.  XVI.] 


NUMBERS 


67 


the  congregation :   and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared unto  all  the  congregation. 

20  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 
Aaron,  saying, 

21  Separate  yourselves  from  among  this  congre- 
gation, that  I  may  consume  them  in  a  moment. 

22  And  they  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  said,  O 
God,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  shall  one 
man  sin,  and  wilt  thou  be  wroth  with  all  the  con- 
gregation ? 

23  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

24  Speak  unto  the  congregation,  saying,  Get  you 
up  from  about  the  tabernacle  of  Korah,  Dathan, 
and  Abiram. 

25  And  Moses  rose  up  and  went  unto  Dathan  and 
Abiram  ;  and  the  elders  of  Israel  followed  him. 

26  And  ne  spake  unto  the  congregation,  saying. 
Depart,  I  pray  you,  from  the  tents  of  these  wicked 
men,  and  touch  nothing  of  theirs,  lest  ye  be  con- 
sumed in  all  their  sins, 

27  So  they  gat  up  from  the  tabernacle  of  Korah, 
Dathan,  and  Abiram,  on  every  side :  and  Dathan 

?iid  Abiram  came  out,  and  stood  in  the  door  of 
heir  tents,  and  their  wives,  and  their  sons,  and 
their  little  children. 

28  And  Moses  said.  Hereby  ye  shall  know  that 
the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all  these  works ;  for  / 
have  not  done  them  of  mine  own  mind. 

29  If  these  men  die  the  common  death  of  all  men, 
or  if  they  be  visited  after  the  visitation  of  all  men  ; 
then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me. 

30  But  if  the  Lord  make  a  new  thing,  and  the 
earth  open  her  mouth,  and  swallow  them  up,  with 
all  that  appertain  unto  them,  and  they  go  down 
quick  into  the  pit ;  then  ye  shall  understand  that 
these  men  have  provoked  the  Lord. 

31  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  had  made  an  end 
of  speaking  all  these  words,  that  the  ground  clave 
asunder  that  was  under  them  : 


the  tent  of  meeting :  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
appeared  unto  all  the  congregation. 

20  And  the  Lord    spake   unto  Moses  and  unto 

21  Aaron,  saying.  Separate  yourselves  from  among 
this  congregation,  that  1  may  consume  them  in 

22  a  moment.  And  they  fell  upon  their  faces,  and 
said,  O  God,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh, 
shall  one  man  sin,  and  wilt  tliou  be  wroth  with 

23  all  the  congregation?    And  the  Lord  spake  unto 

24  Moses,  saying.  Speak  unto  the  congregation, 
saying,  Get  you  up  from  about  the  tabernacle 

25  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram.  And  Moses 
rose  up  and  went  unto  Dathan  and  Abiram  ; 

26  and  the  elders  of  Israel  followed  him.  And  he 
spake  unto  tlie  congregation,  saying.  Depart,  I 
pray  you,  from  the  tents  of  these  wicked  men, 
and  touch   nothing  of  theirs,   lest  ye   be  con- 

27  sumed  in  all  their  sins.  So  they  gat  them  up 
from  the  tabernacle  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiram,  on  every  side:  and  Dathan  and  Abiram 
came  out,  and  stood  at  the  door  of  their  tents, 
and  their  wives,  and  their  sons,  and  their  little 

28  ones.  And  Moses  said.  Hereby  ye  sliall  know 
that  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all  these 
works;  for  I  have  not  done  them  of  mine  own 

29  mind.  If  these  men  die  the  common  death  of 
all  men,  or  if  they  be  visited  after  the  visitation 
of  all  men ;  then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me. 

30  But  if  the  Lord  make  a  new  thing,  and  the 
ground  open  her  mouth,  and  swallow  them  up. 
with  all  that  appertain  unto  them,  and  they  go 
down  alive  into  the  pit ;  then  ye  shall  under- 
stand that  these  men  have  despised  the  Lord. 

31  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  made  an  end  of 
speaking  all  these  words,  that  the  ground  clave 


interference  either  by  way  of  command  or  the- 
ophany,  but  now  that  the  climax  of  impiety  is 
reached  the  divine  glory  shines  out  with  a  lurid 
and  ominous  light,  as  on  a  former  occasion  at 
Kadesh  (see  i4 :  lo).  The  warning  goes  forth  to 
Moses  and  Aaron  to  separate  themselves  from 
the  congregation  in  order  to  give  an  opportunity 
for  a  sudden  and  wholesale  act  of  retribution 
from  Jehovah  (ver.  20, 21).  This  seems  to  be  a 
repetition  in  anotlier  form  of  the  same  threat 
which  has  repeatedly  come  so  near  execution 
and  yet  has  been  averted  by  intercession  (Exod. 

32  :  10,    seq.  ;    Num.  14  :  12,  seq  ) .      In    tllis    CaSe    MoseS 

and  Aaron  prostrate  themselves  in  entreaty  and 
remonstrance  against  involving  the  great, 
thoughtless  multitude  in  the  punishment  of  the 

few  (ver.  22), 

In  ver.  24  and  27  the  word  translated  taber- 
nacle is  a  word  that  is  never  used  in  prose  of 
any  structure  except  the  sanctuary  of  Jehovah. 
This  fact  has  led  some  critics  to  conjecture  that 
the  original  form  may  have  been  "  tabernacle  of 
Jehovah,"  as  in  17  :  13.  It  seems  to  me  not  im- 
possible that  this  peculiar  term,  used  as  it  is  in 
the  singular  of  a  structure  belonging  in  common 
to  the  three  conspirators,  may  have  been  em- 
ployed to  denote  some  sort  of  rival  sanctuary 
which  these  men  had  set  up  as  the  focus  or  meet- 
ing-point of  their  sacerdotal  pretensions. 


The  narration  now  leaves  the  company  whose 
contention  was  especially  about  the  exclusive 
priesthood  of  Aaron,  and  takes  up  the  conten- 
tion and  punishment  of  those  who  disputed  the 
divine  legation  of  Moses.  Accompanied  by  the 
elders  of  Israel  Moses  went  to  Dathan  and  Abi- 
ram, warning  the  congregation  to  keep  away 
from  their  tents  lest  they  be  involved  in  their 
sin  and  ruin.  Finding  themselves  the  objects 
of  such  a  formal  visitation  and  of  such  general 
avoidance,  Dathan  and  Abiram  with  all  their 
families  came  and  stood  at  their  tent  doors  to 
await  the  end.  Solemnly  and  confidently  Moses 
proposed  the  test  whereby  Jehovah's  mind 
should  be  known,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  the 
retribution  should  be  so  manifestly  divine  as  to 
exonerate  Moses  from  the  charge  of  procuring 
it  himself.  He  thus  forestalled  the  charge  which 
was  nevertheless  carelessly  made  the  next  day 
(see  ver.  4i).  Regarding  his  own  divine  commis- 
sion, Moses  was  willing  to  be  vindicated  by  an 
act  of  Jehovah  wliich  should  be  like  a  new 
creation  in  its  uniqueness  and  in  the  power  in- 
volved (ver.  30).  ;Moses  is  not  usually  given  to 
talking  very  much  in  definite  prediction  of  what 
Jehovah  is  going  to  do,  but  in  this  case  his  own 
prescience  as  a  prophet  needed  to  be  vindicated, 
as  well  as  his  enjoyment  of  the  divine  protec- 
tion.   In   fulfillment  of  his  words  the  earth 


68 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XVI. 


32  And  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swal- 
lowed them  up,  and  their  houses,  and  all  the  men 
that  appertained  unto  Korah,  and  ail  their  goods. 

33  They,  and  all  that  appertaintd  to  them,  went 
down  alive  into  the  pit,  and  the  earth  closed  upon 
them :  and  they  perished  from  among  the  congre- 
gation. 

34  And  all  Israel  that -were  round  about  them  fled 
at  the  cry  of  them:  for  they  said,  Lest  the  earth 
swallow  us  up  also. 

35  And  there  came  out  a  fire  from  the  Lord,  and 
consumed  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  that 
offered  incense. 

36  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

37  Speak  unto  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  tiie  priest, 
that  he  take  up  the  censers  out  of  the  burning,  and 
scatter  thou  the  fire  yonder  ;  for  they  are  hallowed. 

38  The  censers  of  these  sinners  against  their  own 
souls,  let  them  make  them  broad  plates /or  a  cov- 
ering of  the  altar :  for  they  offered  them  before  the 
Lord,  therefore  they  are  liallovved  :  and  they  shall 
be  a  sign  unto  the  children  of  Israel. 

39  And  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  brasen  censers, 
wherewith  they  that  were  burnt  had  offered  ;  and 
they  were  made  broad  plates  for  a  covering  of  the 
altar : 

40  To  be  a  memorial  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  no  stranger,  which  is  not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron, 
come  near  to  offer  incense  before  tlieLord  ;  that  he 
be  not  as  Korah,  and  as  his  company  :  as  the  Lord 
said  to  hiui  by  tlie  hand  of  Moses. 

41  But  on  tiie  morrow  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel  murmured  against  Moses  and 
against  Aaron,  saying.  Ye  have  killed  the  people 
of  the  Lord. 

42  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  congregation 
was  gathered  against  Moses  and  against  Aaron, 
that  they  looked  toward  the  tabernacle  of  the  con- 
gregation :  and,  behold,  the  cloud  covered  it,  and 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared. 

43  And  Moses  and  Aaron  came  before  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation. 


32  asunder  that  was  under  them:  and  the  earth 
opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  them  up, 
and  their  households,  and  all  the  men  that  ap- 

33  pertained  unto  Korah,  and  all  their  goods.  So 
they,  and  all  that  appertained  to  them,  went 
down  alive  into  the  pit:  and  the  earth  closed 
upon  them,  and  they  perished  from  among  the 

34  assembly.  And  all  Israel  that  were  round  about 
them  fled  at  the  cry  of  them  :  for  they  said,  Lest 

35  the  earth  swallow  us  up.  And  fire  came  forth 
from  the  Lord,  and  devoured  the  two  hundred 
and  fifty  men  that  offered  the  incense. 

36  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

37  Speak  unto  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest, 
tiial  he  take  up  the  censers  out  of  the  burning, 
and  scatter  them  the  fire  yonder;  for  they  are 

38  holy ;  even  tfie  censers  of  these  sinners  against 
their  own  lives,  and  let  them  be  made  beaten 
plates  for  a  covering  of  the  altar:  for  they 
offered  them  before  the  Lord,  therefore  they  are 
holy  :  and  they  shall  be  a  sign  unto  the  chil- 

39  dren  of  Israel.  And  Eleazar  the  priest  took 
the  brasen  censers,  which  they  that  were  burnt 
had  offered  ;  and  they  beat  them  out  for  a  cov- 

40  ei'ing  of  the  altar :  to  be  a  memorial  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  to  the  end  that  no  stranger, 
which  is  not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron,  come  near  to 
burn  incense  before  the  Lord  ;  that  he  be  not  as 
Korah,  and  as  his  company  :  as  the  Lord  spake 
unto  him  by  the  hand  of  Moses. 

41  But  on  the  morrow  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel  murmured  against  Moses  and 
against  Aaron,  saying.  Ye  have  killed  the  peo- 

42  pie  of  the  Lord.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the 
congregation  was  assembled  against  Moses  and 
against  Aaron,  that  they  looked  toward  the  tent 
of  meeting:  and,  behold,  the  cloud  covered  it, 

43  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared.  And  Moses 
and  Aaron  came  to  the  front  of  the  tent  of  meet- 


opened  and  swallowed  up  the  whole  rebellious 
company  in  that  part  of  the  camp  with  their 
households.  These  are  described  as  the  men 
that  appertained  nnto  Korah  (ver.  32), 
though  we  have  the  express  statement  (26  :  11) 
that  the  children  of  Korah  died  not ;  and  as  for 
Korah  himself  it  is  not  clear  whether  he  was 
involved  in  this  destruction  by  earthquake  or 
whether  he  perished  by  fire  among  those  that 
offered  the  incense  at  the  tent  of  meeting.  In 
punishment  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  who 
were  in  contention  with  Aaron,  the  consuming 
fire  of  the  sanctuary  manifested  the  self-avenging 
holiness  of  Jehovah's  altar  (ver.  35),  as  in  the 
case  of  Nadab  and  Abihu  (Lev.  10  : 1, 2). 

36-40.  The  censers  and  the  coals  which  had 
been  so  immediately  and  awfully  associated  with 
a  direct  act  of  divine  retribution  were  too  sacred 
ever  to  be  employed  for  common  purposes. 
Eleazar,  who  was  not  so  strictly  interdicted  as 
the  high  priest  himself  from  going  among  the 
dead  (see  Lev.  21  :  1-6),  was  directed  to  scatter  the 
fire  with  which  they  had  kindled  their  incense 
afar  off  (ver.  37),  and  to  make  the  censers  into 
beaten  plates  to  cover  the  altar.  These  plates 
would  thus  remain  as  a  reminder  that  no  one 
not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron  was  to  burn  incense 


before  Jehovah  (ver.  40) .  The  line  betw^een  priests 
and  Levites  was  thus  definitely  drawn.  As  for 
the  further  test  as  to  which  was  the  priestly 
tribe,  this  was  furnished  by  the  events  narrated 
in  the  next  chapter.  The  latter  part  of  ver.  40 
seems  to  place  Korah  among  those  who  perished 
at  the  sanctuary. 

41-50.  By  the  next  day  the  people  were  some- 
what recovered  from  the  terror  (ver.  31)  inspired 
by  the  earthquake,  and  their  resentment  fixed 
itself  on  Moses  and  Aaron  as  the  authors  of  tlie 
calamity  of  the  day  before.  Such  an  inveterate 
eagerness  to  believe  Moses  and  Aaron  in  the 
wrong,  as  well  as  the  rash  willingness  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  to  follow^  Korah  as  a 
leader  into  the  most  awful  danger,  shows  how 
formidable  and  widely  representative  of  the  na- 
tion's dissatisfaction  was  Korah's  conspiracy. 
They  assembled  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 
ing, on  the  very  ground  that  had  just  been 
cleared  of  the  corpses  of  those  who  had  sinned 
against  their  own  souls,  lives  (ver.  ssj^  and 
charged  the  devoted  brothers  with  murdering 
the  people  of  the  Lord.  Again  the  ominous 
cloud  and  glory  gathered  about  the  sanctuary 
and  attracted  their  shuddering  attention  (ver.  42). 
Again  the  voice  of  Jehovah  bade  Moses  leave 


Ch.  XVII.] 


NUMBERS 


69 


44  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

45  Get  you  up  from  among  this  congregation,  that 
I  may  consume  them  as  in  a  moment.  And  tliey 
fell  upon  their  faces. 

46  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Take  a  censer, 
and  put  fire  therein  from  off  the  altar,  and  put  on 
incense,  and  go  quickly  unto  the  congregation, 
and  make  an  atonement  for  them :  for  there  is 
wrath  gone  out  from  the  Lord ;  the  plague  is 
begun. 

47  And  Aaron  took  as  Moses  commanded,  and 
ran  into  the  midst  of  the  congregation;  and,  be- 
hold, the  plague  was  begun  among  the  people : 
and  he  put  on  incense,  and  made  au  atonement 
for  the  people. 

48  And  he  stood  between  the  dead  and  the  living; 
and  the  plague  was  stayed. 

49  Now  they  that  died  in  the  plague  were  four- 
teen thousand  and  seven  hundred,  beside  them 
that  died  about  the  matter  of  Korah. 

50  And  Aaron  returned  unto  Moses  unto  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation :  and  the 
plague  was  stayed. 


44  ing.    And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

45  Get  you  up  from  among  this  congregation,  that 
I  may  consume  them  in  a  moment.    And  they 

46  fell  upon  their  faces.  And  Moses  said  unto 
Aaron,  Take  thy  censer,  and  put  fire  therein 
from  off  tlie  altar,  and  lay  incense  thereon,  and 
carry  it  quickly  unto  the  congregation,  and 
make  atonement  for  them  :  for  there  is  wrath 
gone  out  from  the  Lord  ;  the  plague  is  begun. 

47  And  Aaron  took  as  Moses  spake,  and  ran  into 
the  midst  of  the  assembly;  and,  bi.'holii,  the 
plague  was  begun  among  the  pe()i)lc :  and  he 
put  on  the  incense,  and   made  atonement  for 

48  tlie  people.  And  he  stood  between  the  dead 
and  the  living ;    and   the   plague   was    stayed. 

49  Now  they  that  died  by  tlie  plague  were  fourteen 
thousand  and  seven  hundred,  besides  them  that 

50  died  about  the  matter  of  Ivorah.  And  Aarun 
returned  unto  M(jses  unto  the  door  of  the  tent 
of  meeting  :  and  the  plague  was  stayed. 


CHAPTER    XVII 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  take  of 
every  one  of  them  a  rod  according  to  the  house  of 
their  fathers,  of  all  their  princes  according  to  the 
house  of  their  fathers  twelve  rods :  write  thou  every 
man's  name  upon  his  rod. 

3  And  thou  shalt  write  Aaron's  name  upon  the 
rod  of  Levi :  for  one  rod  shall  he  for  the  head  of  the 
house  of  their  fathers. 

4  And  thou  shalt  lay  them  up  in  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation  before  the  testimony,  where  I 
will  meet  with  you. 

5  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the  man's  rod, 
whom  I  shall  choose,  shall  blossom  :  and  I  will  make 
to  cease  from  me  the  murmurings  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  whereby  they  murmur  against  you. 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  take  of 
them  rods,  one  for  each  fathers'  house,  of  all 
their  princes  according  to  their  fathers'  house.v, 
twelve  rods:  write  thou  every  man's  name  upon 

3  his  rod.  And  thou  shalt  write  Aaron's  name 
upon  the  rod  of  Levi :  for  there  shall  be  one  rod 

4  for  each  head  of  their  fathers'  houses.  And 
thou  shalt  lay  them  up  in  the  tent  of  meeting 
before  the  testimony,  where  I  meet  with  you. 

5  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the  man  whom  I 
shall  choose,  his  rod  shall  bud :  and  I  will  make 
to  cease  from  me  the  murmurings  of  the  cliil- 
dren  of  Israel,  which  they  murmur  against  you. 


him  free  to  destroy  the  people  in  a  moment; 
and  again  Moses  and  Aaron  prostrated  them- 
selves in  the  act  of  intercession  (ver.  45).  By 
some  intuition  which  enabled  him  to  follow  the 
movements  of  the  divine  wrath  Moses  knew 
that  the  plague  had  broken  out  among  the  peo- 
ple; and  he  bade  Aaron  make  haste  and  em- 
ploy that  priestly  censer  which  had  been  exalted 
the  day  before  by  an  act  of  destruction  in  sup- 
plicating the  divine  power  to  save  (ver.  46).  Thus 
the  rationale  of  the  high  priesthood  Avas  more 
amply  and  normally  manifested  in  saving  its 
very  despisers  than  by  its  power  to  repel  prof- 
anation. While  the  plague  raged  with  fatal 
effect  Aaron  stood  as  it  were  between  dead  and 
living  until  his  intercession  finally  stayed  its 
ravages,  but  not  until  fourteen  thousand  and 
seven  hundred  people  had  been  fatally  stricken. 


Chap.  17.  Confirmation  of  the  priestly 

PREROGATIVES  OF  THE  TRIBE  OF  LEVI.      NoW 

that  the  rebellion  is  quelled,  the  real  question  at 
issue  can  be  decided  in  a  more  declarative  and 
instructive  way.  During  the  tumult  of  passion 
the  voice  of  the  teacher  is  huslied  ;  the  only 
thing  to  which  power  can  then  address  itself  is 
the  restoration  of  order.    The  utmost  which  the 


dreadful  example  made  of  Korah's  company 
could  teach  was  the  negative  truth,  of  which 
remembrance  was  constantly  made  in  the  beaten 
plates  of  the  altar  (le :  40)^  "that  no  stranger, 
which  is  not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron,  come  near  to 
burn  incense  before  the  Lord."  The  positive 
attestation  of  Jehovah's  choice  of  Levi,  or 
Aaron,  is  now  exhibited  through  a  miracle  in 
his  express  behalf. 

1-11.  Moses  was  directed  to  take  of  each  of  the 
princes  or  heads  of  the  tribes  a  rod  inscribed 
with  the  name  of  the  possessor,  making  twelve 
rods.  It  seems  probable  that  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  were  counted  as  two  tribes,  so  that 
there  were  twelve  exclusive  of  Levi,  Aaron's 
being  an  additional  rod,  as  the  Vulgate  under- 
stands it.  This  was  the  reckoning  which  was 
characteristic  of  P  (see  1  :  10,  32,  s*,  etc.),  though 
the  counting  of  Joseph  as  one  tribe  was  not  un- 
known (Dent.  27  :  12).  Aarou  was  considered  tlie 
prince  or  head  of  the  house  of  Levi.  These 
rods  were  to  be  laid  up  in  the  tent  of  meeting, 
before  the  testimony,  i.  c,  the  tal)les  of  stone, 
wliich  was  Jehovah's  chosen  place  to  be  com- 
municated with  (ver.  4  ;  comp.  Exod.  30  :  36),  and  there 

Jehovah  would  work  a  miracle  of  growth  which 
would  assuage  the  murmurings  of  the  childreu 


70 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


6  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  every  one  of  their  princes  gave  him  a  rod 
apiece,  lor  each  prince  one,  according  to  their 
fathers'  houses,  even  twelve  rods :  and  the  rod  of 
Aaron  was  among  their  rods. 

7  And  Moses  laid  up  the  rod  before  the  Lord  in 
the  tabernacle  of  witness. 

8  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  the  morrow  Moses 
went  into  the  tabernacle  of  witness;  and,  behold, 
the  rod  of  Aaron  for  the  house  of  Levi  was  budded, 
and  brought  forth  buds,  and  bloomed  blossoms,  and 
yielded  almonds. 

9  And  Moses  brought  out  all  the  rods  from  before 
the  Lord  unto  all  the  children  of  Israel :  and  they 
looked,  and  took  every  man  his  rod. 

10  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Bring  Aaron's 
rod  again  before  the  testimony,  to  be  kept  for  a 
token  against  the  rebels  ;  and  thou  shalt  quite  take 
away  their  murmurings  from  me,  that  they  die  not. 

11  And  Moses  did  so:  as  the  Lord  commanded 
him,  so  did  he. 

12  And  the  children  of  Israel  spake  unto  Moses, 
saying.  Behold,  we  die,  we  perish,  we  all  perish. 

13  Whosoever  cometh  anything  near  unto  the 
tabernacle  of  the  Lord  shall  die :  shall  we  be  con- 
sumed with  dying? 


6  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  all  their  princes  gave  him  rods,  for  each 
prince  one,  according  to  their  fathers'  houses, 
even  twelve  rods :  and  the  rod  of  Aaron  was 

7  among  their  rods.  And  Moses  laid  up  the  rods 
before  the  Lord  in  the  tent  of  the  testimony. 

8  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  Moses 
went  into  the  tent  of  the  testimony ;  and,  be- 
hold, the  rod  of  Aaron  for  the  house  of  Levi 
was  budded,  and  put  forth  buds,  and  bloomed 

9  blossoms,  and  bare  ripe  almonds.  And  Moses 
brought  out  all  the  rods  from  before  the  Loid 
unto  all  the  children  of  Israel :  and  they  looked, 

10  and  took  every  man  his  rod.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  Moses,  Put  back  the  rod  of  Aaron  before 
the  testimony,  to  be  kept  for  a  token  against 
the  children  of  rebellion ;  that  thou  mayest 
make  an  end  of  their  murmurings  against  me, 

11  that  they  die  not.  Thus  did  Moses  :  as  the  Lord 
commanded  him,  so  did  he. 

12  And  the  children  of  Israel  spake  unto  Moses, 
saying.  Behold,  we  perish,  we  are  undone,  we 

13  are  all  undone.  Every  one  that  cometh  near, 
that  cometh  near  unto  the  tabernacle  of  the 
Lord,  dieth  :  shall  we  perish  all  of  us? 


CHAPTEE    XVIIT. 


1  AND  the  Lord  said  unto  Aaron,  Thou  and  thy 
sons  and  thy  father's  house  with  thee  shall  bear 
the  iniquity  of  the  sanctuary :  and  thou  and  thy 
sons  with  thee  shall  bear  the  iniquity  of  your 
priesthood. 

2  And  thy  brethren  also  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  the 
tribe  of  thy  father,  bring  thou  with  thee,  that  they 
may  be  joined  unto  thee,  and  minister  unto  thee : 


1  AND  the  Lord  said  unto  Aaron,  Thou  and  thy 
sons  and  thy  fathers'  house  with  thee  shall  bear 
the  iniquity  of  the  sanctuary  :  and  thou  iind  thy 
sons  with  thee  shall   bear  the  iniquity  of  your 

2  priesthood.  And  thy  brethren  also,  the  tribe  of 
Levi,  the  tribe  of  thy  father,  bring  thou  near 
with  thee,  that  they  "may  be  joined  unto  thee. 


of  Israel.  Moses  did  according  to  directions, 
and  the  next  day,  on  going  into  the  tent  of 
testimony,  he  found  Aaron's  rod  exhibiting  all 
the  stages  of  vegetation  from  buds  to  blossoms 
and  ripe  almonds  (ver  s).  Thus  that  house  was 
designated  for  the  priesthood  whose  sceptre  had 
life  and  growth  in  it.  The  rods  were  all  brought 
out  and  each  man  was  bidden  identify  his  own 
and  see  for  himself  whose  insignia  exhibited 
the  tokens  of  Jehovah's  choice  (ver.  9).  Finally 
the  burgeoned  staff  was  laid  up  before  the  tes- 
timony along  with  the  memorial  manna  (Exod. 
16  :  34)  and  the  standard  incense  (Exod.  so  :  36), 
that  it  might  be  a  permanent  evidence  or  token 
to  the  "sons  of  rebellion"  (ver.  lo),  calculated 
to  silence  controversy  and  prevent  the  fatal 
consequences  of  sedition. 

13,  13.  These  two  verses,  which  are  translated 
better  in  the  Revised  version,  appear  to  express 
more  naturally  the  feelings  of  the  people  after 
the  dreadful  events  of  chap.  16  than  after  the 
miracle  that  has  just  been  recounted.  They 
form  indeed  a  natural  transition  from  this  whole 
episode  of  judgment  and  separation  to  the  legis- 
lation of  the  next  chapter,  and  may  well  be 
read  in  close  connection  with  18  :  1. 


Chap.   18.    Duties,  relative  position, 

AND  REVENUES  OF  THE  PRIESTS  AND  LEVITES. 

1-7,  The  regulations  of  this  chapter  revert  to  the 


preceding  chapters  as  their  occasion,  especially 
in  ver.  3, 5,  where  they  are  said  to  be  intended  to 
prevent  Levites  from  fatally  intruding  on  the 
priests'  duties,  and  in  ver.  22,  where  the  Levites 
themselves  appear  as  safeguards  against  the  pro- 
voking of  the  divine  wrath  on  the  part  of  the 
people.  This  first  section  simply  defines  the 
priests'  and  the  Levites'  relative  position  and 
duties.  It  is  addressed  to  Aaron,  sometimes  as 
head  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  sometimes  as  the  chief 
priest.  He  with  his  sons  and  his  father's  house 
(ver.  i)j  i,  e.,  all  the  tribe,  are  to  be  responsible 
for  the  sanctuary  in  general ;  while  he  and  his 
sons  are  to  occupy  the  narrower  circle  of  the 
priesthood.  Of  these  respective  spheres  of  duty 
the  incumbents  are  said  to  bear  the  iniquity, 
meaning  that  for  whatever  fault  there  is  in  the 
performance  or  the  defense  of  these  sacred  func- 
tions they  are  to  be  responsible.  That  the 
sanctuary  itself  and  its  most  sacred  performances 
incurred  defilement  was  recognized  in  the  an- 
nual act  of  atonement  (see  Lev.  i6  :  16,  18)  ;  and 
that  the  consecrated  body  of  men  should  recog- 
nize in  their  weighty  responsibilities  a  certain 
burden  of  "iniquity,"  would  follow  from  the 
principle  that  those  assuming  the  holiest  duties 
and  characters  are  the  most  sensitive  to  short- 
coming  (see  on  chap.  6  :  13-21). 

As  for  the  Levites,  these  were  to  be  joined 
(ver.  2)  to  Aaron,  and  to  act  as  his  subordinates, 


Ch.  XVIII.] 


NUMBERS 


71 


but  thou  and  thy  sons  with  thee  shall  viinister  be- 
fore the  tabernacle  of  witness. 

3  And  they  shall  keep  thy  charge,  and  the  charge 
of  all  the  tabernacle:  only  they  shall  not  corne 
nigh  the  vessels  ot  the  sanctuary  and  the  altar, 
that  neither  they,  uor  ye  also,  die. 

4  And  they  shall  be  joined  unto  thee,  and  keep 
the  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
for  all  the  service  of  the  tabernacle  :  and  a  stranger 
shall  not  come  nigh  unto  you. 

5  And  ye  shall  keep  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary, 
and  the  charge  of  the  altar :  that  there  be  no  wrath 
any  more  upon  the  children  of  Israel. 

6  And  I,  behold,  I  have  taken  your  brethren  tiio 
Levites  from  among  the  children  of  Israel :  to  you 
they  are  given  as  a  gift  for  the  Lord,  to  do  the  serv- 
ice of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

7  Therefore  thou  and  thy  sons  with  thee  shall 
keep  your  priest's  office  for  every  thing  of  the  altar, 
and  within  the  vail;  and  ye  shall  serve:  I  have 
given  your  priest's  office  unto  you  as  a  service  of 
gift:  and  the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be 
put  to  death. 

8  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  Behold,  I  also 
have  given  thee  the  charge  of  mine  heave  offerings 
of  all  the  hallowed  things  of  the  children  of  Israel ; 
unto  thee  have  I  given  them  by  reason  of  the  anoint- 
ing, and  to  thy  sons,  by  an  ordinance  for  ever. 

9  This  shall"  be  thine  of  the  most  holy  things, 
reserved  from  the  fire :  every  oblation  of  theirs, 
every  meat  offering  of  theirs,  and  every  sin  offer- 
ing of  theirs,  and  every  trespass  offering  of  theirs, 
which  they  shall  render  unto  me,  shall  be  most  holy 
for  thee  and  for  thy  sons. 

10  In  the  most  holy  place  shalt  thou  eat  it ;  every 
male  shall  eat  it :  it  shall  be  holy  unto  thee. 

11  And  this  is  thine ;  the  heave  offering  of  their 
gift,  with  all  the  wave  offerings  of  the  children  of 
Israel:  I  have  given  them  unto  thee,  and  to  thy 
sons  and  to  thy  daughters  with  thee,  by  a  statute 
for  ever :  every  one  that  is  clean  in  thy  house  shall 
eat  of  it. 


and  minister  unto  thee :  but  thou  and  thy  sons 
with  thee  shall  be  before  the  tent  of  the  testi- 

3  mony.  And  they  shall  keep  thy  charge,  and  the 
charge  of  all  the  Tent :  only  they  shall  not  come 
nigh  unto  the  vessels  of  the  sanctuary  and  unto 
the  altar,  that  they  die  not,  neither  they,  nor  ve. 

4  And  they  shall  be  joined  unto  thee,  and  ke"ep 
the  charge  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  for  all  the 
service  of  the  Tent:   and  a  stranger  shall  not 

5  come  nigh  unto  you.  And  ye  shall  keep  the 
charge  of  the  sanctuary,  and  the  charge  of  the 
altar:  that  there  be  wrath  no  more  upon  the 

6  children  of  Israel.  And  I,  behold,  I  have  taken 
your  brethren  the  Levites  frcjm  among  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel :  to  you  they  are  a  gift,  given  unto 
the  Lord,  to  do  the  service  of  the  tent  of  meet- 

7  ing.  And  thou  and  thy  sons  with  thee  shall  keep 
your  priesthood  for  every  thing  of  tlie  altar,  and 
for  that  within  the  veil ;  and  ye  shall  serve:  I 
give  you  the  priesthood  as  a  service  of  gift :  and 
the  stranger  that  cometii  nigh  shall  be  put  to 
death. 

8  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  And  I,  be- 
hold, I  have  given  thee  the  charge  of  mine 
heave  offerings,  even  all  the  hallowed  things  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  unto  thee  have  I  given 
them  by  reason  of  the  anointing,  and  to  thy 

9  sons,  as  a  due  for  ever.  This  shall  be  thine  of 
the  most  holy  things,  reserved  from  the  fire: 
every  oblation  of  theirs,  even  every  meal  offer- 
ing of  theirs,  and  every  sin  offering  of  theirs, 
and  every  guilt  offering  of  theirs,  which  they 
shall  render  unto  me,  shall  be  most  holy  for 

10  thee  and  for  thy  sons.  As  the  most  holy  things 
shalt  thou  eat  thereof:   every  male  shall  eat 

11  thereof;  it  shall  be  holy  unto  thee.  And  this  is 
thine;  the  heave  offering  of  their  gift,  even  all 
the  wave  offerings  of  the  children  of  Israel :  I 
have  given  them  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  sons  and 
to  thy  daughters  with  thee,  as  a  due  for  ever: 
every  one  that  is  clean  in  thy  house  shall  eat 


their  charge  being  the  tent ;  while  to  the  vessels 
of  the  sanctuary  and  to  the  altar  (ver.  3)^  and  to 
all  that  is  within  the  veil  (ver.  7)  the  priests  alone 
had  the  right  of  admission  and  contact.  The 
word  "joined"  is  a  play  upon  the  name  Levi, 
which  rueans  joined,  the  writer  thus  indicating 
that  Levi  exemplified  the  meaning  of  his  name 
in  being  joined  to  the  priesthood,  as  well  as  in 
the  circumstance  which  led  his  mother  first  to 
give  it  to  him  (see  Gen.  29  :  34).  The  Lcvitcs  are 
further  described  as  a  gift  given  D'jnj,  nethu- 
nim,  to  Jehovah  (ver.  6)^  as  more  fully  explained 
in  3  :  5-10 ;  and  the  priesthood  is  described  as  a 
"  service  of  gift "  (^er.  7),  i.e.,  perhaps  a  dignity 
derived  from  Jehovah  by  direct  bestowal,  and 
not  a  right  which  any  one  might  claim  or  seize. 
The  word  stranger  in  ver.  4  means  one  not  of 
the  tribe  of  Levi,  while  in  ver.  7  it  means  one 
not  of  the  seed  of  Aaron,  in  either  case  meaning 
an  alien  in  relation  to  the  particular  privileged 
class  under  consideration  at  the  time. 

8-19.  We  have  in  this  section  an  account  of 
the  revenues  especially  devoted  to  the  priests. 
Like  the  first  section  it  is  addressed  specifically 
to  Aaron  (ver.  8).  Aaron  and  his  sons  have  the 
charge,  or  guardianship,  of  Jehovah's  DlO^'^ri, 
t'rumoth,  or  ofierings  which  the  children  of  Israel 


elevate  in  token  of  consecration.  The  word  is  used 
in  its  widest  sense,  as  in  5  :  9  ;  Lev.  22  :  12  ;  and 
the  priests  have  the  strongest  motive  for  seeing 
that  these  offerings  are  faithfully  rendered  to 
Jehovah,  namely,  their  own  interest  as  direct 
beneficiaries.  These  are  given  them  by  reason 
of  the  anointing  (ver.  s),  or  perhaps /or  an 

anointing  portion    (see  the  same  word  in  Kxod.  29  :  29), 

and  confirmed  to  them  as  an  ordinance  for 

ever,  of  eternity.  Five  different  kinds  of  offer- 
ings are  enumerated  in  detail:  (1)  The  "most 
holy  things  from  the  fire,"  i.  e.,  all  oblations, 
such  as  the  meal  offerings,  sin  offerings,  guilt 
offerings,  of  which  only  the  "memorial"  was 
burned.  The  burnt  offering  is  not  enumerated, 
because  that  was  entirely  consumed,  and  only 
the  skin  went  to  the  priest.  These  were  most 
sacredly  reserved  for  Aaron  and  the  male  mem- 
bers of  his  family,  who  were  to  eat  tliem  in  a 
holy  place  (ver.  lo ;  cf.  Lev.  7  :  6).  (2)  "The 
nrp^*^r^,  t'ruviali,  of  their  gift,"  i.  e.,  the  wave 
breast  and  the  heave  thigh  of  the  peace  offer- 
ings, as  specified  in  Lev.  7  :  28-34.  Of  this  all 
who  were  ceremonially  clean  belonging  to  the 
priest's  household  might  eat,  whether  sons  or 
daughters,  or  even  servants  born  in  the  house  or 

bought    with    his    money    (ver.  ll;    cr.   Lev.  22 :  ll). 


72 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XVIII. 


12  All  the  best  of  the  oil,  and  all  the  best  of  the 
wine,  and  of  the  wheat,  the  firstfruits  of  them 
which  they  shall  offer  uuto  the  Lord,  them  have  I 
given  thee. 

13  And  whatsoever  is  first  ripe  in  the  land,  which 
they  shall  bring  unto  the  Lord,  shall  be  thine  ;  every 
one  that  is  clean  in  thine  house  shall  eat  of  it. 

14  Every  thing  devoted  in  Israel  shall  be  thine. 

15  Every  thing  that  openeth  the  matrix  in  all 
flesh,  which  they  bring  uuto  the  Lord,  whether  it  be 
of  men  or  beasts,  shall  be  thine :  nevertheless  the 
firstborn  of  man  shalt  thou  surely  redeem,  and  the 
firstling  of  unclean  beasts  shalt  thou  redeem. 

16  And  those  that  are  to  be  redeemed  from  a 
month  old  shalt  thou  redeem,  according  to  thine 
estimation,  for  the  money  of  five  shekels,  after  the 
shekel  of  the  sanctuary,  which  is  twenty  gerahs. 

17  But  the  firstling  of  a  cow,  or  the  firstling  of  a 
sheep,  or  the  firstling  of  a  goat,  thou  shalt  not 
redeem  ;  they  are  holy  :  thou  shalt  sprinkle  their 
blood  upon  the  altar,  and  shalt  burn  their  fat  for 
an  offering  made  by  fire,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto 
the  Lord. 

18  And  the  flesh  of  them  shall  be  thine,  as  the 
wave  breast  and  as  the  right  shoulder  are  thine. 

19  All  the  heave  offerings  of  the  holy  things, 
which  the  children  of  Israel  offer  unto  the  Lord, 
have  I  given  thee,  and  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters 
with  thee,  by  a  statute  for  ever :  it  is  a  covenant  of 
salt  for  ever  before  the  Lord  unto  thee  and  to  thy 
seed  with  thee. 

20  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Aaron,  Thou  shalt 
have  no  inheritance  in  their  land,  neither  shalt 
thou  have  any  part  among  them  :  I  am  thy  part  and 
thine  inheritance  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

21  And,  behold,  I  have  given  the  children  of  Levi 
all  the  tenth  in  Israel  for  an  inheritance,  for  their 
service  which  they  serve,  even  the  service  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

22  Neither  must  the  children  of  Israel  henceforth 
come  nigh  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  lest 
they  bear  sin,  and  die. 


12  thereof.  All  the  best  of  the  oil,  and  all  the  best 
of  the  vintage,  and  of  the  corn,  the  firstfruits  of 
them  which  they  give  unto  the  Lord,  to  thee 

13  have  I  given  them.  The  tirstripe  fruits  of  all 
that  is  in  their  land,  which  they  bring  unto  the 
Lord,  shall  be  thine  ;  every  one  that  is  clean  in 

14  thy  house  shall  eat  thereof.  Every  thing  devoted 

15  in  Israel  shall  be  thine.  Every  thing  that  open- 
eth the  womb,  of  all  flesh  which  they  offer  unto 
the  Lord,  both  of  man  and  beast,  shall  be  thine : 
nevertheless  the  firstborn  of  man  shalt  thou 
surely  redeem,    and   the   firstling    of   unclean 

16  beasts  shalt  thou  redeem.  And  those  that  are 
to  be  redeemed  of  them  from  a  month  old  shalt 
thou  redeem,  according  to  thine  estimation,  for 
the  money  of  five  shekels,  after  the  shekel  of  the 

17  sanctuary  (the  same  is  twenty  gerahs).  But  the 
firstling  of  an  ox,  or  the  firstling  of  a  sheep,  or 
the  firstling  of  a  goat,  thou  shalt  not  redeem  ; 
they  are  holy :  thou  shalt  sprinkle  their  blood 
upon  the  altar,  and  shalt  burn  their  fat  for  an 
offering  made  by  fire,  for  a  sweet  savour  unto 

18  the  Lord.  And  the  flesh  of  them  shall  be  thine, 
as  the  wave  breast  and  as  the  right  thigh,  it 

19  shall  be  thine.  All  the  heave  offerings  of  the 
holy  things,  which  the  children  of  Israel  offer 
unto  the  Lord,  have  I  given  thee,  and  thy  sons 
and  thy  daughters  with  thee,  as  a  due  for  ever : 
it  is  a  covenant  of  salt  for  ever  before  the  Lord 

20  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  with  thee.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Aaron,  Thou  shalt  have  no  in- 
heritance in  their  land,  neither  shalt  thou  have 
any  portion  among  them  :  I  am  thy  portion  and 
thine  inheritance  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

21  And  unto  the  children  of  Levi,  behold,  I  have 
given  all  the  tithe  in  Israel  for  an  inheritance, 
in  return  for  their  service  which  they  serve, 

22  even  the  service  of  the  tent  of  meeting.  And 
henceforth  the  children  of  Israel  shall  not  come 
nigh  the  tent  of  meeting,  lest  they  bear  sin,  and 


(3)  The  "fat"  of  the  oil,  and  of  the  vintage, 
and  of  the  corn,  and  the  first  fruits  which  are 
ofi^ered  to  Jehovah   (ver.  12,  13;  cf.  Lev.  23  :  20). 

(4)  Everything  made  cherem,  or  put  under  the 
ban  (ver.  14;  see  Lev.  27:28).  (5)  "Everything 
that  openeth  the  womb,"  i.  e.,  all  firstlings, 
whether  of  man  or  beast,  Avhich  by  fundamental 
principle  belonged  to  Jehovah  (Exod.  is :  2).  Of 
these  the  firstborn  of  man  was  invariably  to  be 
redeemed,  and  that  of  an  unclean  beast  to  be  re- 
deemed or  destroyed  according  to  regulations 
given  more  in  detail  elsewhere   (Lev.  21  -.  6;  Exod. 

13  :  13  ;   34  :  20  :   Lev.  27  :  27) .      The  firstling  of  a  bcast 

such  as  is  ofiered  in  sacrifice  could  not  be  re- 
deemed (ver.  17),  as  its  blood  was  to  be  dashed  on 
the  altar,  and  its  fat  as  sacred  was  to  be  burned 
for  an  odor  of  pleasantness  to  Jehovah.  The 
flesh,  however,  went  to  the  priest  (ver.  is),  just 
as  the  wave  breast  and  the  right  thigh  of  the 
peace  offering.  This  was  to  be  for  Aaron  and 
his  sons  and  daughters  an  ordinance  of  eternity 
(ver.  19),  designated  as  a  "  covenant  of  salt,"  i.  e., 
a  covenant  carrying  with  it  obligations  as  in- 
violable as  those  of  hospitality,  of  which  salt  is 

the  symbol  (see  on  Lev.  2  :  13,  and  cf.  2  Chron.  13  :  5). 

20-24.  This  section  appears  to  be  addressed 
to  Aaron  as  the  head  of  the  tribe  of  Levi.  Ver.  20 


therefore  outlines  the  general  principle  which 
applies  to  the  whole  tribe,  namely,  that  Jehovah, 
rather  than  a  tract  of  land,  is  his  inheritance.  His 
support  is  a  sacred  revenue  coming  from  Jehovah 
himself.  It  is  from  this  point  of  view  that  the 
tithes  of  the  children  of  Israel  are  called  their 
heave  offering  to  Jehovah  (ver.  24),  an  unusual 
designation  for  the  secular  tithe  which,  so  far  as 
we  know,  was  not  literally  elevated  in  token  of 
consecration.  This  principle  of  a  divine  rather 
than  a  landed  maintenance  being  enunciated, 
the  details  of  the  Levites'  secular  support  are 
given  in  ver.  21-24,  and  that  of  the  priests  in 
ver.  25-32. 

The  custom  of  the  tithe  came  down  from  patri- 
archal times  (see  Gen.  14  :  20  ;  28  :  22),  and  is  made  a 
legal  institution  in  Lev.  27  :  30-33 ;  but  here  for 
the  first  the  specific  use  or  application  of  that 
tax  is  designated.  The  tithe  of  the  children  of 
Israel  comes  to  the  Levites  as  wages  in  return 
for  the  service  which  they  serve  (ver.  21). 
That  service,  here  described  as  a  service  to  the 
children  of  Israel,  is  so  far  as  they  are  concerned 
the  service  of  protecting  them  from  necessary 
contact  with  the  self-avenging  sanctities  of  the 

tabernacle  (ver.  22  ;   cf.  1  :  53  ;   8  :  19,  and  notes).      Tllis 

revenue  being  simply  business  wages,  there  is 


Ch.  XIX.] 


NUMBERS 


73 


23  But  the  Levites  shall  do  the  service  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  they  shall  bear 
their  iniquity  :  it  shall  be  a  statute  for  ever  through- 
out your  geuerations,  that  among  the  children  of 
Israel  they  have  no  inheritance. 

24  But  the  tithes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which 
they  offer  as  an  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord,  I  have 
given  to  the  Levites  to  inherit :  therefore  I  have  said 
unto  them.  Among  the  children  of  Israel  they  shall 
have  no  inheritance. 

25  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

26  Thus  speak  unto  the  Levites,  and  say  unto 
them.  When  ye  take  of  the  children  of  Israel  the 
tithes  which  I  have  given  you  from  them  for  your 
inheritance,  then  ye  shall  offer  up  an  heave  offering 
of  it  for  the  Lord,  even  a  tenth  part  of  the  tithe. 

27  And  this  your  heave  offering  shall  be  reckoned 
unto  you,  as  though  it  were  the  corn  of  the  thresh- 
ingfioor,  and  as  the  fulness  of  the  winepress. 

28  Thus  ye  also  shall  offer  an  heave  offering  unto 
the  Lord  of  all  your  tithes,  which  ye  receive  of  the 
children  of  Israel ;  and  ye  shall  give  thereof  the 
Lord's  heave  offering  to  Aaron  the  priest. 

29  Out  of  all  your  gifts  ye  shall  offer  every  heave 
offering  of  the  Lord,  of  all  the  best  thereof,  even  the 
hallowed  part  thereof  out  of  it. 

30  Therefore  thou  shalt  say  unto  them.  When  ye 
have  heaved  the  best  thereof  from  it,  then  it  shall 
be  counted  unto  the  Levites  as  the  increase  of  the 
thresh ingfioor,  and  as  the  increase  of  the  wine- 
press. 

31  And  ye  shall  eat  it  in  every  place,  ye  and  your 
households :  for  it  is  your  reward  for  your  service 
in  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation. 

32  And  ye  shall  bear  no  sin  by  reason  of  it,  when 
ye  have  heaved  from  it  the  best  of  it :  neither  shall 
ye  pollute  the  holy  things  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
lest  ye  die. 


23  die.  But  the  Levites  shall  do  the  service  of  the 
tent  of  meeting,  and  they  shall  bear  their  in- 
iquity :  it  shall  be  a  statute  for  ever  throughout 
your  geuerations,  and  among  the  children  of 

24  Israel  they  shall  have  no  inheritance.  For  the 
tithe  of  the  children  of  Israel,  which  they  offer 
as  an  heave  offering  unto  the  Lord,  I  have  given 
to  the  Levites  for  un  inheritance:  therefore  I 
have  said  unto  them,  Among  the  children  of 
Israel  they  shall  have  no  inheritance. 

25  And    the   Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saving, 

26  Moreover  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  Levites, 
and  say  unto  them,  When  ye  take  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  the  tithe  which  I  have  given  you 
from  them  for  your  inheritance,  then  ye  shall 
offer  up  an  heave  offering  of  it  for  the  Lord,  a 

27  tithe  of  the  tithe.  And  your  heave  offering 
shall  be  reckoned  unto  you,  as  though  it  were 
the  corn  of  the  threshing-floor,  and  as  the  ful- 

28  ness  of  the  winepress.  Thus  ye  also  shall  offer 
an  heave  oft'ering  unto  the  Lord  of  all  your 
tithes,  which  ye  receive  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael ;  and  thereof  ye  shall  give  the  Lord's  heave 

29  offering  to  Aaron  the  priest.  Out  of  all  your 
gifts  ye  shall  offer  every  heave  offering  of  the 
Lord,  of  all  the  best  thereof,  even  the  hallowed 

30  part  thereof  out  of  it.  Therefore  thou  shalt  say 
unto  them.  When  ye  heave  the  best  thereof  from 
it,  then  it  shall  be  counted  unto  the  Levites  as 
the  increase  of  the  threshing-floor,  and  as  the 

31  increase  of  the  winepress.  And  ye  shall  eat  it 
in  every  place,  ye  and  your  households :  for  it  is 
your  reward  in  return  for  your  service  in  the 

32  tent  of  meeting.  And  ye  shall  bear  no  sin  hy 
reason  of  it,  when  ye  have  heaved  from  it  the 
best  thereof :  and  ye  shall  not  profane  the  holy 
things  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  ye  die  not. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses   and   unto 
Aaron,  saying, 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

1     AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto 


no  restriction  as  to  when  and  where  it  shall  be 
eaten  as  in  the  case  of  the  holy  things  over  which 
special  jurisdiction  is  claimed. 

25-32.  Jehovah  now  addresses  Moses  (ver.  25), 
as  the  Levites  are  to  be  instructed  concerning  an 
obligation  which  Aaron  is  not  competent  to  en- 
force. Observe  that  while  the  Levites  are  the 
subordinates  or  assistants  of  Aaron  (ver.  2)  they 
are  not  his  employees.  They  receive  their  support 
from  the  people  (ver.  21)^  and  Aaron  is  therefore 
their  beneficiary  rather  than  their  paymaster. 
The  principle  laid  down  in  this  section  is,  that 
when  the  tithe  has  once  come  into  possession  of 
the  Levites  it  is  as  much  theirs  to  be  accounted  for 
and  taxed  in  its  turn  as  if  it  were  their  produce 
from  the  ground  (ver.  27).  Of  this  tithe  they  are 
to  take  a  tenth  as  their  heave  offering  to  Jeho- 
vah (ver.  26),  and  this  shall  go  the  priest.  This 
tenth  must  be  of  the  best,  constituting  indeed 
the  holy  part  of  their  gifts  (ver.  29).  It  is  not 
until  this  holy  part  has  been  taken  that  the  re- 
mainder has  really  become  their  own,  or  secular 
wages  (ver.  31)  J  SO  that  they  can  eat  it  wherever 
they  choose  without  fear  of  "profaning  the 
holy  things  of  the  children  of  Israel,"  and  so 
incurring  risk  of  death  (ver.  32). 


Chap.  19.  The  water  of  pfrification  ; 
ITS  PREPARATION  AND  USE,  With  the  pecu- 
liar characteristics  of  Jewish  religious  feeling, 
which  centered  the  integrity  of  the  spiritual 
life  in  the  shunning  of  contagion  from  without 
(see  Commentary  on  Leviticus,  remarks  at  the 
beginning  of  chap.  11),  the  providing  of  a  water 
of  purification  was  a  logical,  one  might  almost 
say  an  inevitable,  outgrowth  of  the  desire  to 
make  religion  available  for  the  emergencies  of 
common  life.  This  water  was  a  kind  of  porta- 
ble preparation  in  which  were  concentrated  the 
ceremonially  cleansing  virtues  of  the  sin  offer- 
ing. It  could  be  applied  without  the  interven- 
tion of  the  priest,  and  at  a  distance  from  the 
sanctuary.  Just  as,  when  baptism  is  held  to  be 
of  vital  importance  for  the  salvation  of  the  soul, 
ecclesiastical  regulations  permit  this  rite  to  be 
performed  by  laymen  in  cases  of  emergency,  so 
when  entire  ceremonial  cleanness  can  alone  fit 
the  person  for  the  congregation  of  Jehovah, 
there  is  provision  made  for  the  restoration  of 
that  cleanness  without  the  presence  of  the 
priest.  The  most  common  source  of  accidental 
defilement  would  be  by  the  dead ;  and  if  this 
chapter  may  be  taken  as  having  any  special 


74 


NUMBEKS 


[Ch.  XIX. 


2  This  is  the  ordinance  of  the  law  which  the  Lord 
hath  commanded,  saying,  Speak  unto  the  children 
of  Israel,  that  they  bring  thee  a  red  heifer  without 
spot,  wherein  is  no  blemish,  a?id  upon  which  never 
came  yoke : 

3  And  ye  shall  give  her  unto  Eleazar  the  priest, 
that  he  niay  bring  her  forth  without  the  camp,  and 
one  shall  slay  her  before  his  face : 

4  And  Eleazar  the  priest  shall  take  of  her  blood 
with  his  finger,  and  sprinkle  of  her  blood  directly 
before  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  seven 
times : 

5  And  one  shall  burn  the  heifer  in  his  sight;  her 
skin,  and  her  flesh,  and  her  blood,  with  her  dung, 
shall  he  burn : 

6  And  the  priest  shall  take  cedar  wood,  and  hys- 
sop, and  scarlet,  and  cast  it  into  the  midst  of  the 
burning  of  the  heifer. 

7  Then  the  priest  shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  he 
shall  bathe  his  flesh  in  water,  and  afterward  he 
shall  come  into  the  camp,  and  the  priest  shall  be 
unclean  until  the  even. 

8  And  he  that  burneth  her  shall  wash  his  clothes 
in  water,  and  bathe  his  flesh  in  water,  and  shall  be 
unclean  until  the  even. 

9  And  a  man  that  is  clean  shall  gather  up  the 
ashes  of  the  heifer,  and  lay  them  up  without  the 
camp  in  a  clean  place,  and  it  shall  be  kept  for  the 
congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel  for  a  water 
of  separation  :  it  is  a  purification  for  sin. 

10  And  he  that  gathereth  the  ashes  of  the  heifer 
shall  wash  his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the 
even :  and  it  shall  be  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  unto  the  stranger  that  sojourneth  among  them, 
for  a  statute  for  ever. 

11  He  that  toucheth  the  dead  body  of  any  man 
shall  be  unclean  seven  days. 


2  Aaron,  saying,  This  is  the  statute  of  the  law 
which  the  Lord  hath  commanded,  saying.  Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  bring  thee 
a  red  heifer  without  spot,  wherein  is  no  blemish, 

3  and  upon  which  never  came  yoke  :  and  ye  shall 
give  her  unto  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  he  shall 
bring  her  forth  without  the  camp,  and  one  shall 

4  slay  her  before  his  face  :  and  Eleazar  the  priest 
shall  take  of  her  blood  with  his  finger,  and 
sprinkle  of  her  blood  toward  the  front  of  the 

5  tent  of  meeting  seven  times :  and  one  shall 
burn  the  heifer  in  his  sight ;  her  skin,  and  her 
flesh,  and  her  blood,  with  her  dung,  shall  he 

6  burn  :  and  the  priest  shall  take  cedar  wood,  and 
hyssop,  and  scarlet,  and  cast  it  into  the  midst  of 

7  the  burning  of  the  heifer.  Then  the  priest  shall 
wash  his  clothes,  and  he  shall  bathe  his  flesh 
in  water,  and  afterward  he  shall  come  into  the 
camp,  and  the  priest  shall  be  unclean  until  the 

8  even.  And  he  that  burneth  her  shall  wash  his 
clothes  in  water,  and  bathe  his  flesh  in  water, 

9  and  shall  be  unclean  until  the  even.  And  a 
man  that  is  clean  shall  gather  up  the  ashes  of 
the  heifer,  and  lay  them  up  without  the  camp 
in  a  clean  place,  and  it  shall  be  kept  for  the 
congregation  of   the   children  of    Israel   for  a 

10  water  of  separation :  it  is  a  sin  offering.  And 
he  that  gathereth  the  ashes  of  the  heifer  shall 
wash  his  clothes,  and  be  unclean  until  the 
even :  and  it  shall  be  unto  the  children  of  Is- 
rael,  and    unto   the   stranger  that   sojourneth 

11  among  them,  for  a  statute  for  ever.  He  that 
toucheth  the  dead  body  of  any  man  shall  be  un- 


connection  with  the  time  and  events,  the  occur- 
rence of  so  many  deaths  by  the  plague  (i6  :  49), 
and  the  needs  of  those  who  engaged  in  the  task 
of  burial,  would  suggest  the  necessity  of  some 
such  legislation.  The  use  of  purifying  waters 
was  not  uncommon  in  ancient  religions.  The 
red  heifer,  with  its  rites  so  redolent  of  chemico- 
ethical  suggestion,  was  a  fascinating  subject  to 
the  Oriental  mind,  so  that  the  title  "  The  Heifer  " 
is  given  to  a  whole  Sura  of  the  Koran. 

1-10.  This  ordinance  is  called  the  ordi- 
nance, statute,  of  the  law  (ver.  a),  a  form  of 
expression  which  occurs  in  only  one  other  place 
(31 :  21) ,  where  this  same  law  of  purification  from 
the  dead  is  enforced  and  amplified.  Addressed 
to  Moses  and  Aaron  (ver.  i),  it  simply  prescribes 
in  detail  the  preparation  of  a  water  of  sepa- 
ration, or,  impurity  (ver.  9),  for  the  cleansing 
of  those  who  have  been  defiled  by  the  dead. 
The  children  of  Israel  are  to  bring  to  the  priest 
a  red  heifer  which  is  perfect,  without  spot,  and 
on  which  no  yoke  was  ever  imposed  (ver.  2).  It 
will  be  remembered  that  the  kine  by  which  the 
Philistines  sent  back  the  ark  into  Judea  were 
also  to  be  such  as  had  never  borne  a  yoke  (1  Sam. 
6:7).  This  heifer  is  to  be  delivered  to  Eleazar 
the  priest,  the  one  who  was  chosen  to  take  up 
the  censers  from  the  burning  (I6 :  37),  as  the  task 
which  at  every  step  left  the  operator  defiled 
could  not  be  imposed  on  the  high  priest.    The 


victim  is  to  be  slain  without  the  camp,  under 
Eleazar's  personal  inspection  (ver.  s),  and  he  is 
to  sprinkle  of  the  blood  with  his  finger  seven 
times  toward  the  front  of  the  tent  of  meeting 
(ver.  4).  In  the  later  times  of  the  Jewish  people 
the  heifer  was  slain  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  in 
full  view  of  the  east  gate  of  the  temple.  After 
slaughtering,  the  animal  is  burned  entire  under 
the  eye  of  the  priest  (ver.  5),  while  he  personally 
casts  into  the  fire  cedar  wood  and  hyssop  and 
scarlet,  the  substances  used  in  connection  with 
the  cleansing  of  the  leper  (i^ev.  14  : 4,  6).  As 
both  the  priest  (ver.  7)  and  the  one  who  does  the 
burning  (ver.  s)  are  rendered  unclean  by  their 
respective  shares  of  the  work,  the  final  task  of 
gathering  the  ashes  and  storing  them  in  a  clean 
place  has  to  be  performed  by  a  third  person, 
ceremonially  untainted  (ver.  9),  who  in  his  turn 
is  rendered  unclean  and  has  to  undergo  the  same 
ablutions  as  his  predecessors  (ver.  10).  The  sym- 
bolism of  the  red  color,  of  the  unblemished  and 
untainted  condition  of  the  beast,  and  of  the 
cedar  and  scarlet  and  hyssop  are  not  explained 
and  can  only  be  conjectured.  A  certain  mys- 
tery, however,  always  attaches  to  the  insisting 
on  conditions  and  the  concocting  of  ingredients 
the  uses  of  which  are  not  obvious.  This  sacri- 
fice is  designated,  so  far  as  its  eflicacy  is  con- 
cerned, as  a  sin  offering  (ver.  9)  ;  and  it  is  pre- 
scribed as  a  perpetual  ordinance. 


Ch.  XX.] 


NUMBERS 


75 


12  He  shall  purify  himself  with  it  on  the  third 
day,  and  on  the  seventh  day  he  shall  be  clean : 
but  if  he  purify  not  himself  the  third  day,  then  the 
seventh  day  he  shall  not  be  clean. 

13  Whosoever  toucheth  the  dead  body  of  any  man 
that  is  dead,  and  puritieth  not  himself,  defileth  the 
tabernacle  of  the  Lord  ;  and  that  soul  shall  be  cut 
off  from  Israel :  because  the  water  of  separation 
was  not  sprinkled  upon  him,  he  shall  be  unclean; 
his  uncleanuess  is  yet  upon  him. 

14  This  is  the  law,  when  a  man  dieth  in  a  tent : 
all  that  come  into  the  tent,  and  all  that  is  in  the 
tent,  shall  be  unclean  seven  days. 

15  And  every  open  vessel,  which  hath  no  cover- 
ing bound  upon  it,  is  unclean. 

16  And  whosoever  toucheth  one  that  is  slain  with 
a  sword  in  the  open  fields,  or  a  dead  body,  or  a 
bone  of  a  man,  or  a  grave,  shall  be  unclean  seven 
days. 

17  And  for  an  unclean  person  they  shall  take  of 
the  ashes  of  the  burnt  heifer  of  puriticatiou  for  sin, 
and  running  water  shall  be  put  thereto  in  a  vessel : 

18  And  a  clean  person  shall  take  hyssop,  and  dip 
it  in  the  water,  and  sprinkle  it  upon  the  tent,  and 
upon  all  the  vessels,  and  upon  the  persons  that 
were  there,  and  upon  him  that  touched  a  bone,  or 
oue  slain,  or  one  dead,  or  a  grave  : 

19  And  the  clean  person  shall  sprinkle  upon  the 
unclean  on  the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh  day  : 
and  on  the  seventh  day  he  shall  purify  himself, 
and  wash  his  clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water, 
and  shall  be  clean  at  even. 

20  But  the  man  that  shall  be  unclean,  and  shall 
not  purify  himself,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from 
among  the  congregation,  because  he  hath  defiled 
the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord :  the  water  of  separation 
hath  not  been  sprinkled  upon  him  ;  he  is  unclean. 

21  And  it  shall  be  a  perpetual  statute  unto  them, 
that  he  that  sprinkleth  the  water  of  separation 
shall  wash  his  clothes ;  and  he  that  toucheth  the 
water  of  separation  shall  be  unclean  until  even. 

22  And  whatsoever  the  unclean  person  toucheth 
shall  be  unclean ;  and  the  soul  that  toucheth  it 
shall  be  unclean  until  even. 


12  clean  seven  days :  the  same  shall  purify  himself 
therewith  on  the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh 
day  he  shall  be  clean :  but  if  he  purify  not  him- 
self the  third  day,  then  the  seventh  day  he  shall 

13  not  be  clean.  Whosoever  toucheth  tlie  dead 
body  of  any  man  that  is  dead,  and  puriUeth  not 
himself,  delileth  tlie  tabernacle  of  the  Lord ; 
and  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  Israel :  be- 
cause the  water  of  separation  was  not  sprinkled 
upon  him,  he  shall   be  unclean ;  his  unclean- 

14  ness  is  yet  upon  him.  This  is  ihe  law  when  a 
man  dieth  in  a  tent :  every  one  that  cometh 
into  the  tent,  and  every  one  that  is  in  the  tent, 

15  shall  be  unclean  seven  days.  And  every  open 
vessel,  which  hath  no  covering  bound  upon  it, 

16  is  unclean.  And  whosoever  ni  the  open  field 
toucheth  one  that  is  slain  witli  a  sword,  or  a 
dead  body,  or  a  bone  of  a  man,  or  a  grave,  shall 

17  be  unclean  sever,  days.  And  for  the  unclean 
they  shall  take  of  the  ashes  of  the  burning  of 
the  sin  offering,  and  running  water  shall  be  put 

18  thereto  in  a  vessel:  and  a  clean  person  sliall 
take  hyssop,  and  dip  it  in  the  water,  and  sprin- 
kle it  upon  the  tent,  and  upon  all  the  vessehs, 
and  upon  the  persons  that  were  tliere,  and  upon 
him  that  touched  the  bone,  or  the  slain,  or  the 

19  dead,  or  the  grave :  and  the  clean  pers<m  shall 
sprinkle  upon  the  unclean  on  the  third  day,  and 
on  the  seventh  day  :  and  on  the  seventh  day  he 
shall  purify  him  ;  and  he  shall  wash  his  clothes, 
and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  shall  be  clean 

20  at  even.  But  the  man  that  sliall  be  unclean, 
and  shall  not  purify  himself,  that  soul  shall  be 
cut  off  from  the  midst  of  the  assembly,  because 
he  hath  defiled  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord :  the 
water  of  separation   hath  not  been  sprinkled 

21  upon  him ;  he  is  unclean.  And  it  shall  be  a 
perpetual  statute  unto  them :  and  he  that  sprin- 
kleth the  water  of  separation  shall  wash  his 
clothes;   and   he  that   toucheth  the  water  of 

22  separation  shall  be  unclean  until  even.  And 
whatsoever  the  unclean  person  toucheth  shall 
be  unclean  ;  and  the  soul  that  toucheth  it  shall 
be  unclean  until  even. 


11-22.  Though  this  substance  prepared  from 
the  ashes  of  the  red  heifer  is  called  a  "  water  of 
separation  "  (ver.  9)  it  is  not  until  ver.  17  that 
the  direction  to  add  water  to  the  ashes  is  dis- 
tinctly given ;  and  it  seems  more  likely  that  the 
purifying  specific  was  preserved  in  the  form  of 
ashes  than  in  the  form  of  lye,  and  that  running 
or  "living"  water  was  added  to  it  as  it  Avas 
needed.  The  general  law  for  the  one  who 
touches  the  dead  is  that  he  is  unclean  and  that 
seven  days  is  the  least  period  that  will  restore 
him.  On  the  third  day  and  on  the  seventh  day 
he  is  to  purify  himself  with  the  water  of  separa- 
tion, after  which  he  is  clean.  Neglect  of  the 
first  or  third-day  application,  however,  hinders 
the  final  efiicacy  of  the  process  (ver.  12) ;  and 
entire  neglect  of  the  law  entails  the  cutting  off 
of  the  delinquent  from  the  congregation  (^er.  is). 
The  disregard  of  these  precautions  in  respect  to 
uncleanness  from  the  dead  is  said  to  "  defile  the 
^abernacle  of  Jehovah,"  a  sort  of  implied  identi- 
fication of  the  temple  of  God  with  the  human 
body  of  which  we  see  traces  in  early  Christian 
feeling  (John  2 :  19, 21 ;  1  Cor.  6  :  19, 20).  In  vcr.  14- 
17  specific  cases  of  defilement  requiring  the  use 
of  the  water  of  separation  are  given,    A  death 


in  a  tent  renders  every  one  in  it,  and  every  sub- 
sequent visitor  while  the  body  is  there,  unclean 
for  seven  days  (ver.  u).  Every  open  vessel 
which  has  not  a  cover  tied  on  (lit.,  "a  cover,  a 
string  ")  is  also  rendered  unclean  (ver.  is).  Those 
in  the  open  air  who  come  in  contact  with  a  slain 
man,  or  a  corpse,  or  a  bone,  or  a  grave  are  also 
rendered  unclean  (ver.  le).  The  application  of 
the  water  is  more  particularly  described  in  ver, 
17,  seq.,  we  being  furnished  not  only  with  the 
information  that  tlie  ashes  are  to  be  treated  with 
living  water  (ver.  n),  but  also  that  the  patients 
are  to  be  sprinkled  by  some  clean  person  (ver.  is), 
instead  of  by  themselves  as  might  have  been  in- 
ferred from  ver.  12 ;  and  that  the  administrator 
(ver.  19, 21),  or  indeed  whoever  touches  the  water 
or  the  unclean  person  (ver.  22),  shall  incur  a 
defilement  lasting  until  the  evening. 


Chap.   20.    Death    of    Miriam.     The 

WATERS  OF  STRIFE.  REFUSAL  OF  A  PASSAGE 
THROUGH     EDOM.        DEATH     OF      AaRON     AT 

Mount  Hor.  1.  Perhaps  it  would  be  of  small 
profit  to  the  general  reader  to  undertake  to 
identify  and  delimit  the  passages  in  this  and 
the  following  chapter  which  are  described  by 


76 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XX. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


1  THEN  came  the  children  of  Israel,  even  the 
whole  cougregation,  into  the  desert  of  Zin  in  the 
first  month  :  and  the  people  abode  in  Kadesh  ;  and 
Miriam  died  there,  and  was  buried  there. 

2  And  there  was  no  water  for  the  congregation : 
and  they  gathered  themselves  together  against 
Moses  and  against  Aaron. 

3  And  the  people  chode  with  Moses,  and  spake, 
saying,  Would  God  that  we  had  died  when  our 
brethren  died  before  the  Lord ! 


1  AND  the  children  of  Israel,  even  the  whole 
congregation,  came  into  the  wilderness  of  Zin 
in  the  first  month :  and  the  people  abode  in 
Kadesh  ;  and  Miriam  died  there,  and  was  buried 

2  there.  And  there  was  no  water  for  the  congre- 
gation :  and  they  assembled  themselves  together 

3  against  Moses  and  against  Aaron.  And  the  peo- 
ple strove  with  Moses,  and  spake,  saying,  Would 
God  that  we  had  died  when  our  brethren  died 


the  critics  as  compiled  from  P  and  from  JE,  or 
E  alone,  respectively.  It  is  enough  to  say  that 
the  section  appears  to  be  compiled  from  various 
sources  rather  than  struck  out  at  a  heat  by  a 
single  author.  Certainly  Moses,  if  he  were 
writing  the  sustained  account  as  we  have  it, 
would  have  made  his  chronology  clearer  than  to 
bring  his  congregation  abruptly  into  Kadesh  in 
the  lirst  month  (ver.  i)^  without  mentioning 
the  year,  after  having  given,  as  his  last  note  of 
time,  the  second  year,  and  the  second  mouth, 
and  the  twentieth  day  of  the  month  (10:11)^  the 
date  at  which  the  cloud  was  lifted  from  the 
tabernacle  for  the  removal  from  Sinai.  See  R. 
F.  Horton,  "Inspiration  and  the  Bible,"  pp. 
186,  187. 

The  year  of  this  assembling  is  perhaps  the 
fortieth  year  of  the  wandering,  as  it  seems  to  be 
in  close  connection  with  this  event  that  the  peo- 
ple move  on  to  Mount  Hor  (see  ver.  22)  where 
Aaron  dies;  and  this  occurred  in  the  fortieth 
year  after  the  children  of  Israel  came  out  of 
Egypt  (see  33 :  38).  Of  this  loug  wandering,  dur- 
ing which  the  whole  generation  was  wasting 
away,  we  have  no  history  except  the  account  of 
the  dispute  about  the  priesthood  (chap.  i6,  i7) 
which  may  have  occurred  in  the  earlier  part  of 
it.  The  people  were  sentenced  to  the  nomadic 
life  by  being  commanded  to  take  the  Red  Sea 
road  (14  :  25),  which  is  the  modern  Hajj  route 
far  to  the  south  of  Kadesh,  leading  to  the  head 
of  the  gulf  of  'Akabah.  It  is  probable  that  the 
congregation,  who  were  sentenced  to  be  shep- 
herds in  the  wilderness  (see  14  :  33),  were  scat- 
tered throughout  the  wadies  of  the  peninsula 
Avhere  they  could  find  pasturage  for  their  cattle. 
That  cattle  in  large  numbers  could  be  main- 
tained in  those  valleys  at  that  epoch  is  indis- 
putable, for  the  Bedouin  keep  large  flocks  and 
herds  in  those  regions  at  the  present  day.  The 
nucleus  of  the  camp  would  be  the  sanctuary 
and  the  camp  of  Moses  and  the  Levites ;  and 
the  names  of  the  camping-places  given  in  33  : 
19-35  designate  probably  the  places  where  the 
tabernacle  rested.  From  this  list  of  places, 
most  of  which  are  unknown,  it  appears  that  the 


farthest  point  south  and  east  reached  by  the 
tabernacle  was  Ezion-geber  (33:35;  cf.  judg.  11  : 
ifi)  at  the  head  of  the  eastern  arm  of  the  Red 
Sea.  Various  temporary  or  partial  convenings 
of  the  people  may  have  occurred  at  times  dur- 
ing the  wandering,  as  is  perhaps  indicated  by 
the  names  nninp,  Q'helathah,  assembling  (33 : 
22)  and,  r\hT\'D7^,  Maq^  heloth,  assemblies  (ibid., 
25)  among  the  camping- places,  but  this  verse  at 
the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  chapter  relates 
the  assembling  of  the  whole  congregation  at 
Kadesh  preparatory  to  resuming  their  journey 
as  a  unified  host.  All  the  working  up  of  the 
movement,  the  firing  of  decadent  ardor,  the 
organizing  of  bands,  the  busy  movement  to  and 
fro  of  messengers,  the  search  for  remote  groups 
hid  among  the  hills,  which  must  have  gone  to 
make  this  assembling  in  the  fortieth  year  possi- 
ble, we  can  only  imagine. 

At  this  place  and  time  Miriam  dies,  that  re- 
markable woman  who  forty  years  since  was  so 
revered  by  the  people  that  the  whole  camp  tar- 
ried a  week  on  its  journey  while  she  was  ex- 
cluded from  the  camp  on  her  recovery  from  her 

leprosy  (12  :  15  ;    see  comment  on  whole  chapter). 

2-13.  And  there  was  no  Avater  (ver.  2). 
Perhaps  an  unusual  drought  at  the  time,  together 
with  the  unwonted  demand  occasioned  by  such  a 
multitude  coming  so  suddenly  into  the  neigh- 
borhood with  all  their  flocks  and  herds,  pro- 
duced a  shortage  of  water  to  drink.  The  con- 
gregation, Avhose  forty  years  of  discipline  had 
not  cured  them  of  the  habit  of  grumbling,  held 
a  kind  of  indignation  meeting  against  Moses 
and  Aaion  and  gave  expression  to  the  rather 
peculiar  wish  that  they  had  shared  in  the  fate 
of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  who  were  destroyed 
in  the  affair  of  Korah  (ver.  3;  cf.  le  :  35),  as  if 
these  were  regarded  as  heroes  who  had  perished 
in  a  noble  cause.  This  seems  to  indicate  that 
there  was  still  a  strong  animus  against  the 
priesthood.  The  same  P  account  goes  on  in  ver. 
6  to  state,  in  its  characteristic  formula  for  nar- 
rating crises  of  this  kind,  that  Moses  and  Aaron 
went  to  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting  and  fell 
on  their  faces  (cf.  u  :  5;  le  :  4,  22),  and  that  the 


Ch.  XX.] 


NUMBERS 


77 


4  And  why  have  ye  brought  up  the  congregation 
of  the  Lord  into  this  vvilderuess,  that  we  and  our 
cattle  should  die  liere? 

5  And  wherefore  have  ye  made  us  to  come  up  out 
of  Egypt,  to  bring  us  in  unto  this  evil  place?  it  is 
no  place  of  seed,  or  of  figs,  or  of  vines,  or  of  pome- 
granates ;  neither  is  there  any  water  to  drink. 

6  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  from  the  presence 
of  the  assembly  unto  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  and  they  fell  upon  their  faces : 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  them. 

7  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

8  Take  the  rod,  and  gather  thou  the  assembly  to- 
gether, thou,  and  Aaron  thy  brother,  and  speak  ye 
unto  the  rock  before  their  eyes ;  and  it  shall  give 
forth  his  water,  and  thou  shalt  bring  forth  to  them 
water  out  of  the  rock  :  so  thou  shalt  give  the  con- 
gregation and  their  beasts  drink. 

9  And  Moses  took  the  rod  from  before  the  Lord, 
as  he  commanded  him. 

10  And  Moses  and  Aaron  gathered  the  congrega- 
tion together  before  the  rock,  and  he  said  unto 
them,  Hear  now,  ye  rebels ;  must  we  fetch  you 
water  out  of  this  rock? 

11  And  Moses  lifted  up  his  hand,  and  with  his 
rod  he  smote  the  rock  twice :  and  the  water  came 
out  abundantly,  and  the  congregation  drank,  and 
their  beasts  also. 


4  before  the  Lord !  And  why  have  ye  brought  the 
assembly  of  the  Lord  into  this  wilderness,  that 

5  we  should  die  there,  we  ana  our  cattle?  And 
wherefore  have  ye  made  us  to  come  up  out  of 
Egypt,  to  bring  us  in  unto  this  evil  place?  it  is  no 
place  of  seed,  or  of  ligs,  or  of  vines,  or  of  pome- 
granates ;   neither  is  there  any  water  to  drink. 

6  And  Moses  and  Aaron  went  from  the  presence 
of  the  assembly  unto  the  door  of  the  tent  of 
meeting,   and   fell    upon   their  faces:    and  the 

7  glory  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  them.    And  tlie 

8  Lord  spake  untoMoses,  saying.  Take  the  rod,  and 
assemble  the  congregation,  thou,  and  Aaron  thy 
brother,  and  speak  ye  unto  the  rock  before  their 
eyes,  that  it  give  forth  its  water ;  and  tliou  shalt 
bring  forth  to  them  water  out  of  the  ujck :  so 
thou  slialtgive  the  congregation  and  their  ealtle 

9  drink.    And  Moses  took  the  rod  from  before  the 

10  Lord,  as  he  commanded  him.  And  Moses  and 
Aaron  gathered  the  assembly  together  before 
the  ruck,  and  he  said  unto  them,  Hear  now,  ye 
rebels ;  shall  we  bring  you  Unih  w ater  out  of 

11  this  rock?  And  Moses  lifted  up  his  hand,  and 
smote  the  rock  with  his  rod  twice :  and  water 
came  forth  abundantly,  and  the  congregation 


glory  of  Jehovah  appeared  to  them  (cf.  i4 :  lo ;  le : 
19, 42).  The  account  which  is  attributed  to  the 
JE  source  compares  with  this  very  much  as 
Dathan  and  Abiram's  grievance  compares  with 
that  of  Korah  in  chap.  16.  The  complaint  is 
directed  especially  against  Moses  (^er.  sa)^  and 
its  burden  is  the  familiar  one  that  their  leaders 
have  lured  the  "  assembly  of  Jehovah  "  out  of 
Egypt  with  false  hopes  (ver.  4, 5).  Indeed,  the 
complaint  in  ver.  4,  5  sounds  a  little  strange 
as  coming  from  the  lips  of  a  people  who  had 
had  forty  years  to  forget  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
who  had  not  yet  resumed  active  traveling  with 
Moses  in  search  of  the  Promised  Land.  In  a 
secular  writing  one  would  suspect  such  a  passage 
to  be  a  somewhat  inartistic  bit  of  stock  descrip- 
tion not  quite  clearly  and  consistently  imagined. 
"The  language  of  the  murmurers.  .  .  has  the 
air  of  a  traditional  remonstrance  handed  down 
from  the  last  generation." 
Moses  is  directed  to  take  his  wonder-working 

rod    (ver.  8  ;   cf.    Exod.    7  :  17,  20  ;   9  :  23  ;    10  :  13  ;    14  :  16  ; 

17 : 5, 9,  aeq.)^  wliich  as  wc  are  here  alone  informed 
(ver.  9)  was  kept  laid  up  before  Jehovah,  and 
along  with  Aaron  to  assemble  the  congregation 
and  speak  to  the  rock,  or  cliff,  in  their  presence, 
and  thus  bring  forth  water  for  the  people  and 
their  cattle.  The  same  rod  had  been  employed 
on  a  similar  occasion  at  Rephidim  (Exod.  17 :  5-7), 
and  there  by  divine  direction  Moses  had  used  it 
to  smite  the  rock.  Here,  on  tlie  other  hand,  the 
direction  is  to  speak  to  the  rock,  and  the  reason 
why  Moses  should  take  the  trouble  to  fetch  the 
rod  from  its  resting-place  is  not  obvious.  Per- 
haps the  mere  inattention  to  detail  involved  in 
striking  with  the  rod  instead  of  holding  it  idly 


in  his  hand  Avas  not  counted  an  important  part 
of  the  sin  for  which  he  was  excluded  from  the 
land  of  promise.  Certainly  that  failure  in  ex- 
actness did  not  block  the  outflow  of  miraculous 
power,  for  the  water  gushed  forth  abundantly 
at  the  stroke.  Speak  ye  unto  the  rock  (vtr. 
8).  The  word  is  |*^D,  sela\  or  ch'ff,  instead  of 
the  more  common  word  *^!|y  tsur,  used  of  the 
rock  in  Horeb  (i^xod.  17  :  e).  The  rabbis  in  their 
comments  or  haggadoth  on  this  passage  and  21  : 
16-18  have  fancied  that  the  rock  in  Rephidim 
and  this  Avere  the  .same  rock,  it  having  followed 
the  children  of  Israel  through  all  their  forty 
years'  wandering — a  tradition  which  is  evidently 
employed  and  spiritualized  by  Paul  in  1  Cor. 
10:4. 

Moses  and  Aaron  assembled  the  congregation 
before  the  cliff  and  in  an  imperious  and  self- 
sufficient  way,  and  evidently  in  some  irritation, 
Moses  demanded  of  the  people,  whom  he  char- 
acterized as  murmurers  or  rebels;  must, 
shall,  we  fetch  you  water  out  of  this 
rock?  accompanying  the  harsli  interrogatory 
with  two  blows  of  the  rod  (ver.  11),  For  the 
spirit  in  which  this  was  done  both  Moses  and 
Aaron  were  debarred  from  the  privilege  of 
bringing  the  children  of  Israel  into  their  land 
(ver.  12).  It  is  only  in  this  place  that  the  reason 
given  for  the  sentence  is  that  they  did  not  be- 
lieve in  God,  and  even  here  the  unbelief  is  not 
simply  doubt,  but  such  a  neglect  to  fix  the 
people's  faith  and  expectation  upon  God  as 
resulted  in  his  not  being  sufficiently  sanctified 
or  acknowledged  in  the  presence  of  the  children 
of  Israel.  In  all  other  places  the  sin  of  Moses 
and  Aaron  is  characterized  as  rebellion,   the 


78 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XX. 


12  And  the  Lord  spake  unt(i  Moses  and  Aaron, 
Because  ye  believed  me  not,  to  sanctify  me  in  the 
eyes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  therefore  ye  shall 
not  bring^  tliis  congregation  into  the  land  which  I 
have  given  them. 

13  This  is  the  water  of  Meribah  ;  because  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  strove  with  the  Lord,  and  he  was 
sanctitied  in  them. 

14  And  Moses  sent  messengers  from  Kadesh  unto 
the  king  of  Edora,  Thus  saith  thy  brother  Israel, 
Thou  knowest  all  the  travel  that  hath  befallen  us : 

15  How  our  fathers  went  down  into  Egypt,  and 
we  have  dwelt  in  Egypt  a  long  time;  and  the 
Egyptians  vexed  us,  and  our  fathers : 

16  And  when  we  cried  unto  the  Lord,  he  heard 
our  voice,  and  sent  an  angel,  and  hath  brought  us 
forth  out  of  Egypt :  and,  behold,  we  are  in  Kadesh, 
a  city  in  the  uttermost  of  thy  border : 


12  drank,  and  their  cattle.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  Moses  and  Aaron,  Because  ye  believed  not 
in  me,  to  sanctify  me  in  the  eyes  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  therefore  ye  shall  not  bring  this  as- 
sembly into  the  land  which  I  have  given  them. 

13  These  are  the  waters  of  Meribah ;  because  the 
children  of  Israel  strove  with  the  Lord,  and  he 
was  sanctitied  in  them. 

14  And  Moses  sent  messengers  from  Kadesh  unto 
the  king  of  Edom,  Thus  saith  thy  brother  Israel, 
Thou  knowest  all  the  travail  that  hath  befallen 

15  us  :  how  our  fathers  went  down  into  Egypt,  and 
we  dwelt  in  Egypt  a  long  time ;  and  the  Egyp- 

16  tians  evil  entreated  us,  and  our  fathers :  and 
when  we  cried  unto  the  Lord,  he  heard  our 
voice,  and  sent  an  angel,  and  brought  us  forth 
out  of  Egypt :  and,  behold,  we  are  in  Kadesh,  a 


verb  used  in  most  cases  being  from  the  same 
root  as  tlie  word  "rebels"  in  ver.  10.  They 
"rebelled  against  Jehovah's  word,"  or,  mouth 
(ver.  24 ;  27 :  u) ;  they  "  trespasscd  against  him  and 
sanctified  him  not  in  the  midst  of  the  children 
of  Israel"  (oeut.  32  :  51) ;  they  "were  rebellious 
against  his  spirit  and  Moses  spake  unadvisedly 
with  his  lips  "  (ps.  106  :  33).  Evidently  the  speak- 
ing to  the  congregation  as  if  Moses  and  Aaron 
were  the  independent  providers  for  their  wants, 
and  as  if  they  were  to  be  the  supreme  authors  of 
the  miracle — a,  sort  of  invasion  of  the  divine 
prerogative — was  accounted  as  the  center  of 
their  sin.  At  the  same  time,  according  to  Mo- 
ses' review  of  the  transaction  in  Deuteronomy, 
it  was  on  the  people's  account  as  much  as  on  his 
that  he  was  debarred  from  the  Promised  Land 
(Deut.  1  :  37 ;  3  :  26 ;  4  :  21).  It  secms  vcry  probablc 
that  if  ]\Ioses  and  Aaron,  after  all  tliat  God 
had  wrought  through  them  and  after  this  con- 
spicuous slight  of  Jehovah's  majesty,  had  gone 
on  and  made  a  triumphal  entry  into  Canaan, 
they  would  on  their  death  have  gone  perilously 
near  becoming  the  objects  of  such  a  hero  worship 
on  the  part  of  the  people  as  would  have  threat- 
ened the  integrity  of  their  allegiance  to  Jehovah. 
This  danger,  and  not  a  mere  petty  jealousy  on 
Jehovah's  part  of  a  mortal,  would  be  a  legiti- 
mate reason  for  the  sentence  of  failure.  As  Mo- 
ses' predominant  characteristic  was  meekness 
(12  :  3)^  so  his  great  life-failure  resulted  from  a 
manifestation  of  the  very  opposite  trait,  or  un- 
due self-exaltation.  It  was  natural  that  the 
sentence  of  Jehovah  should  thus  come  home  to 
his  conscience,  for  it  is  through  what  we  have 
in  our  own  conscience  that  the  Spirit  convinces 
us  of  sin.  Moses  felt  condemned  for  lacking  in 
the  virtue  which  to  him  was  most  important. 
So  Jesus,  whose  supreme  virtue  was  self-sacri- 
fice, saw  the  temptation,  which  he  most  energet- 
ically repelkxl,  in  the  suggestion  to  be  lacking 
in  that  unroserving  devotion  (see  Matt.  I6  :  23). 
The  name  given  to  the  place  (ver.  13)  is  derived 


from  the  people's  contention  with  Jehovah 
rather  than  from  the  sin  of  Moses  and  Aaron. 
The  final  result  of  this  contention  was  that  the 
impression  of  Jehovah's  holiness  was  greatly 
enhanced.  This  repeated  mention  of  the  making 
holy,  or  sanctifying,  of  Jehovah  (ly-l-p,  q-d-sh; 
see  ver.  12, 13)  may  possibly  contain  an  allusion 
to  the  name  Kadesh,  the  holy  place,  where  if 
anywhere  Jehovah  ought  to  be  sanctified.  This 
Meribah  is  sometimes  called  Meribah  of  Kadesh 
(27 :  14 ;  Deut.  32  51)  to  distinguish  it  from  the  place 
of  the  former  similar  miracle  which  Avas  also 
sometimes  called  "  Meribah"  (see  Exod.  17  :  7). 

14-21.  Preparations  were  now  set  on  foot  for 
the  final  march  and  the  invasion  of  the  Promised 
Land.  Instead  of  going  directly  from  Kadesh  into 
Canaan  by  the  Negeb  as  was  formerly  planned 
(13  :  17,  seq.)j  the  projcct  was  to  go  in  a  north- 
easterly direction  through  the  territory  of  Edom, 
around  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  and 
through  the  country  of  ]\Ioab,  thus  entering  the 
land  from  the  east  by  crossing  the  Jordan. 
"The  first  move  was  up  along  the  natural 
boundary  line  of  Canaan,  from  Kadesh-barnea, 
through  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  to  the  boundary 
hinge  of  Jebel  Madurah  on  the  plains  of  Mose- 
rah,  the  junction  of  wadies  Murrah  and  Madu- 
rah" (H.  C.  Trumbull,  "Kadesh-barnea"). 
As  the  proposed  route  was  to  lie  through  Edom, 
Moses  sent  messengers  from  Kadesh 
unto  the  king  of  JEdom — for  we  learn  from 
Gen.  36 :  31-43  that  there  was  a  whole  line  of  kings 
in  Edom  before  the  monarchy  was  established 
in  Israel — asking  in  diplomatic  fashion  for  a 
passage  through  his  territory.  Reminding  him 
that  the  nations  were  brothers  (ver.  14)^  he  re- 
counted briefly  the  history  of  Israel's  vicissi- 
tudes since  the  two  ancestors  had  parted  in 
peace  centuries  before  (Gen.  33  :  le,  17),  skillfully 
implying  that  the  nation's  enterprise  of  going  to 
Canaan  was  deserving  of  encouragement  since  it 
was  manifestly  furthered  by  divine  and  even  mi- 
raculous help  (ver.  16) .   According  to  the  message 


Ch.  XX.] 


NUMBERS 


79 


17  Let  us  pass,  I  pray  thee,  through  thy  country : 
we  will  uot  pass  through  the  tiekls,  or  through  the 
vineyards,  neither  will  we  drink  oj  tiie  water  of 
the  wells :  we  will  go  by  the  king's  high  way,  w^e 
will  not  turn  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  until 
we  have  passed  thy  borders. 

18  And  Edom  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt  not  pass 
by  me,  lest  I  come  out  against  thee  with  the  sword. 

19  And  the  children  of  Israel  said  unto  him,  We 
will  go  by  the  high  way :  and  if  I  and  my  cattle 
drink  of  thy  water,  then  I  will  pay  for  it:  I  will 
only,  without  doing  any  thing  the,  go  through  ou 
my  feet. 

20  And  he  said.  Thou  shalt  not  go  through.  Aud 
Edom  came  out  against  him  with  much  people, 
and  with  a  strong  hand. 

21  Thus  Edom  refused  to  give  Israel  passage 
through  his  border  :  wlierefore  Israel  turned  away 
from  him. 

22  And  the  children  of  Israel,  even  the  whole 
congregation,  journeyed  from  Kadesh,  and  came 
unto  mount  Hor. 


17  city  in  the  uttermost  of  thy  border  :  let  us  pass, 
I  pray  tliee,  through  thy  land  :  we  will  not  pass 
through  field  or  through  viueyiud,  neitlier  will 
we  drink  of  tlie  water  of  the  well.s:  we  will  go 
along  the  king's  high  way,  we  will  not  turn 
aside  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left,  until  we 

18  have  passed  thy  border.  And  Edom  said  unto 
him.  Thou  slialt  not  pass  through  me,  lest  I 

19  come  out  witii  the  sword  against  thee.  And 
the  children  of  Israel  said  unto  him.  We  will  go 
up  by  the  high  way  :  and  if  we  drink  of  thy 
water,  I  and  my  cattle,  tlien  will  I  give  the 
price  thereof:   let  me  only,  without  doing  any 

20  thing  ehe,  pass  through  on  my  feet.  And  he 
said,  Thou  shalt  not  pass  througli.  And  Edom 
came  out  against  him  wiili  much  people,  aud 

21  with  a  strong  hand.  Thus  Edom  refused  to  give 
Israel  passage  through  his  border:  wherefore 
Israel  turned  away  from  hini. 

22  And  tliey  journeyed  from  Kadesh  :  and  the 
children  of  Israel,  even  the  whole  congregation, 


of  Jephthah  in  Judg.  11  :  17,  a  similar  request 
was  sent  to  the  king  of  Moab.  Moses'  request  was 
a  moderate  one,  simply  tliat  the  host  might  go 
through  without  disturbing  farm  or  vineyard  or 
drinking  water  from  the  wells,  but  keeping  to 
the  king's  . . .  way,  or  main,  raised  thorough- 
fare (ver.  17),  without  turning  aside  to  riglit  or 
left.  Such  military  roads,  or  main  thorough- 
fares, are  still  called  in  Oriental  countries  Derh 
es-Sultan,  or  "  way  of  the  emperor."  But  that 
such  an  immense  host  should  go  through  the 
country  without  causing  any  loss  or  damage  was 
perhaps  more  than  even  Moses  could  legiti- 
mately guarantee.  "  We  can  easily  understand 
the  objection  of  the  king  of  Edom.  Many  of 
the  defiles  through  which  the  main  road  wound 
were  not  adapted  for  the  march  of  a  great  mul- 
titude. The  Israelites  could  scarcely  have  gone 
through  Edom  without  injuring  the  fields  and 
vineyards,  and  though  the  undertaking  was 
given  in  good  faith  by  Moses,  how  could  he  an- 
swer for  the  whole  of  that  undisciplined  host  he 
was  leading  toward  Canaan?  The  safety  of 
Edom  lay  in  denying  to  other  peoples  access  to 
its  strongholds.  The  difficulty  of  approaching 
them  was  their  main  security.  Israel  might  go 
quietly  through  the  land  now,  but  its  armies 
might  soon  return  with  hostile  intent.  Water 
too,  was  very  precious  in  some  parts  of  Edom. 
Enough  was  stored  in  the  rainy  season  to  sup- 
ply the  wants  of  the  inhabitants ;  beyond  that 
there  was  none  to  spare,  and  for  this  necessary 
of  life  money  was  no  equivalent.  A  multitude 
traveling  with  cattle  would  have  made  scarcity 
or  famine — might  have  left  the  region  almost 
desolate.  With  the  information  they  had,  jNIo- 
ses  and  Joshua  may  have  believed  that  there 
were  no  insuperable  difficulties.  Yet  the  best 
generalship  might  have  been  unequal  to  the 
task  of  controlling  Israel  in  the  passes  and 


among  the  cultivated  fields  of  that  singular 
country"  (Watson).  The  king  of  Edom, 
therefore,  firmly  refused  the  Israelites  passage, 
even  though  they  ofiered  to  pay  for  the  water 
they  drank  (ver.  i9),  and  came  out  against  them 
with  a  military  force  (ver.  20).  According  to 
Moses'  account  in  Deuteronomy  (ueui.  2  : 4-8) ,  it 
was  their  conviction  that  Mount  Seir  was  di- 
vinely allotted  to  the  children  of  Esau,  which 
prevented  the  Israelites  from  attempting  a 
forcible  invasion. 

22-29,  The  main  point  in  this  section,  not 
plain  from  the  text  itself,  is  the  location  of 
mount  Hor.  The  word  "  Hor"  means  moun- 
tain, and  the  Hebrew  form  in  this  place  is 
mountain,  the  mountain,  a  name  which  is  also 
applied  to  Mount  Hermon  in  34 : 7,  8.  Tradition 
identifies  this  mountain  with  Jebel  Neby  Harun, 
"mountain  of  the  prophet  Aaron,"  near  Petra, 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Arabah,  or  low  valley 
extending  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  gulf  of 
'Akabah.  This  mountain  is  crowned  witli  a 
rude,  domed  structure  purporting  to  be  the  tomb 
of  Aaron.  But  this  location  does  not  fit  in  with 
the  text,  and  "  it  was  not  until  the  days  of  Jo- 
sephus,  fifteen  centuries  after  Aaron's  death, 
that  the  mountains  near  Petra  were  thought  to 
be  the  place  of  this  funeral.  .  .  Is  it  likely  that 
after  Israel  had  asked  permission  to  enter  Edom 
and  been  met  with  a  refusal,  they  would  march 
into  the  very  heart  of  the  country,  camp  close 
to  its  capital,  and  then  bury  Aaron  in  the 
mountain  close  by?"  (Henry  A.  Harper, 
"The  Bible  and  Modern  Discoveries.")  The 
mountain  where  Aaron  was  buried  is  more 
probably  the  remarkable  isolated  peak  known 
as  Jebel  Madurah,  thirty  or  forty  miles  north- 
east of  Kadesh,  whore  tlie  two  wadies  divide 
to  go  down  into  the  Arabah.  "  On  that  isolated 
and  remarkable  mountain,  at  the  very  border- 


80 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXI. 


23  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  Aaron 
in  mount  Hor,  by  the  coast  of  the  laud  of  Edom, 
saying, 

24  Aaron  shall  be  gathered  unto  his  people :  for 
he  shall  not  enter  into  the  land  which  I  liave  given 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  because  ye  rebelled 
against  my  word  at  the  water  of  Meribah. 

25  Take  Aaron  and  Eleazar  his  son,  and  bring 
them  up  unto  mount  Hor: 

26  And  strip  Aaron  of  his  garments,  and  put  them 
vipon  Eleazar  his  son  :  and  Aaron  shall  be  gathered 
'untu  his  people,  and  shall  die  there. 

27  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded :  and 
they  went  up  iuto  mount  Hor  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
congregatic^n. 

28  And  Moses  stripped  Aaron  of  his  garments, 
and  put  them  upon  Eieuzar  his  son ;  and  Aaron 
died  iliere  in  the  top  of  the  mount :  and  Moses  and 
Eleazar  came  down  from  the  mount. 

29  And  when  all  the  congregation  saw  that  Aaron 
was  dead,  tliey  mourned  for  Aaron  thirty  days,  even 
ail  the  house  of  Israel. 


23  came  unto  mount  Hor.  And  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Moses  and  Aaron  in  mount  Hor,  by  the 

24  border  of  the  land  of  Edom,  saying,  Aaron  shall 
be  gathered  untu  his  people:  for  he  shall  not 
enter  into  the  land  whicli  I  have  given  unto  the 
children  of  Israel,  because  ye  rebelled  against 

25  my  word  at  the  waters  of  Meribah.  Take  Aaron 
and  Eleazar  his  son,  and  bring  them  up  unto 

26  mount  Hor:  and  strip  Aaron  of  his  garments, 
and  put  them  upon  Eleazar  his  son :  and  Aaron 
shall  be  gathered  unto  his  people,  and  shall  die 

27  there.  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  : 
and  they  went  up  into  mount  Hor  in  the  sight 

28  of  all  the  congregation.  And  Moses  stripped 
Aaron  of  his  garments,  and  put  them  upon 
Eleazar  his  son ;  and  Aaron  died  there  in  the 
top  of  the  mount:  and  Moses  and  Eleazar  came 

29  down  from  the  mount.  And  when  all  the  con- 
gregation saw  that  Aaron  was  dead,  they  wept 
for  Aaron  thirty  days,  even  all  the  house  of 
Israel. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


1  AND  when  king  Arad  the  Canaanite,  which 
dwelt  in  the  south,  heard  tell  that  Israel  came  by 
the  way  of  the  spies ;  tlien  he  fought  against  Israel, 
and  took  some  of  them  prisoners. 


1  AND  the  Canaanite,  the  king  of  Arad,  which 
dwelt  in  the  South,  heard  tell  that  Israel  came 
by  the  way  of  Atharim  ;  and  he  fought  against 


line  of  the  Land  of  Promise  and  yet  outside  of 
it,  Aaron  died  and  was  buried  ;  and  before  that 
mountain,  on  the  borders  of  Edom  yet  not 
within  Edom's  line,  the  people  mourned  for 
thirty  days  over  the  loss  of  their  faithful  high 
priest"  (Trumbull).  The  encampment  of  the 
children  of  Israel  during  the  funeral  and  the 
thirty  days  of  mourning  was  perhaps  in  the 
plain  of  Moserah  (33  :  so,  3i),  the  place  where, 
according  to  the  remarkable  insertion  in  Deut. 
10  :  6,  the  death  of  Aaron  took  place.  It  was 
probably  while  the  messengers  were  on  their 
way  to  the  king  of  Edom,  and  before  their  re- 
turn with  his  answer,  that  the  events  of  this 
section  occurred. 

The  solemn  intimation  came  to  Moses  and 
Aaron  from  Jehovah,  apparently  after  the 
people  had  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  moun- 
tain (ver.  23)^  that  Aarou  must  be  gathered 
unto  his  people,  and  the  guilt  of  that  rebel- 
lious missing  of  the  divine  Spirit  at  Meribah 
was  impressed  upon  them  as  the  theocratic 
cause  of  his  doom  (ver.  23,  24).  The  directions  to 
Moses  were  to  take  Aaron  and  Eleazar  his  son 
up  on  the  mountain  and,  after  solemnly  strip- 
ping the  aged  priest  of  his  official  garments,  to 
invest  the  son,  now  a  man  Avell  beyond  the 

flower  of  his  age  (cf.  Exod.  28  :  1  ;   Num.  3  :  2,  32 ),  with 

those  insignia  of  the  high-priestly  office  (^er.  26). 
This  command  was  carried  out  by  Moses,  and 
in  due  course  there  followed  the  peaceful  death 
of  the  great  priest  on  that  lonely  peak  in  sight 
of  the  hills  of  Judah  (ver.  28),  and  the  people  on 
their  discovery  of  the  fact  observed  a  mourning 
period  of  thirty  days  (ver.  29), 


Chap.  21.   Feom   mount   Hor   to   the 
STEPPES  OF  MoAB.      1-3.  King  Arad  the 

Canaanite,  rather,  the  Canaanite,  the  king  of 
Arad,  R.  V.  Arad  appears  to  have  been  a  dis- 
trict in  the  Negeb,  or  southern  part  of  Canaan,  in 
the  territory  afterward  belonging  to  Judah  (Judg. 
1:16;  Josh.  12:14).  By  the  Way  of  the  spies. 
The  obscure  word,  D'''^.nX,  'atharim,  here  trans- 
lated spies,  is  taken  as  a  proper  name  in  the  R.  V. 
"There  really  seems  no  justification  for  its  ren- 
dering as  'spies.'  'Tracks'  or  'monuments' 
(indicating  a  way  marked  or  'blazed'  by  sig- 
nal-cairns, after  a  manner  still  common  in  that 
region),  would  be  justified  from  the  Chaldaic 
'afhar,  *a  place'  or  'track.'"  What  way  is 
meant  we  have  not  the  data  for  knowing.  Per- 
haps the  Canaanitish  king  was  alarmed  lest  the 
Israelites  should  invade  his  country  by  the  most 
direct  way  from  Kadesh,  the  way  by  Avhich  the 
spies  had  entered  the  Negeb  forty  years  before. 
It  seems  likely  that  while  the  cliildren  of  Israel 
were  encamped  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Hor  the 
messengers  returned  from  their  embassy  to  the 
king  of  Edom  with  the  intelligence  that  no 
passage  would  be  afforded  through  his  land 
(20  :  18,  seq.).  go  they  tumcd  back  from  their 
proposed  route,  which  would  have  led  directly 
from  the  foot  of  Jebel  Madurah  dowm  into  and 
across  the  Arabah,  to  retrace  their  steps  Avest- 
ward  and  southward  and  so  regain  the  Red  Sea 
road  (ver.  4).  "  As  the  Israelites  turned  back  at 
this  time,  the  Canaanitish  king  of  Arad  came 
against  them  and  struck  at  them,  probably  at 
their  rear  as  they  were  moving  off",  '  and  took 
some  of  them  prisoners. ' "    It  was  j  ust  when  the 


Ch.  XXI.] 


NUMBERS 


81 


2  And  Israel  vowed  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and 
said,  If  thou  wilt  indeed  deliver  this  people  into 
my  hand,  then  I  will  utterly  destroy  their  cities. 

3  And  the  Lord  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  Israel, 
and  delivered  up  the  Canaanites  ;  and  they  utterly 
destroyed  them  and  their  cities  :  and  he  called  the 
name  of  the  place  Hormah. 

4  And  they  journeyed  from  mount  Hor  by  the 
way  of  the  Red  sea,  to  compass  the  land  of  Edom  : 
and  the  soul  of  the  people  was  much  discouraged 
because  of  the  wuy. 

5  And  the  people  spake  against  God,  and  against 
Moses,  Wheiefore  have  ye  brought  us  up  out  of 
Egypt  to  die  in  the  wilderness?  for  there  is  no 
bread,  neither  is  there  any  water;  and  our  soul 
loatheth  this  light  bread. 

6  And  the  Lord  sent  fiery  serpents  among  the 
people,  and  they  bit  the  people;  and  much  people 
of  Israel  died. 

7  Therefore  the  people  came  to  Moses,  and  said, 
We  have  sinned,  for  we  have  spoken  against  the 
Lord,  and  against  thee;  pray  unto  the  Lord,  that 
he  take  away  the  serpents  from  us.  And  Moses 
prayed  for  the  people. 

8  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Make  thee  a 
fiery  serpent,  and  set  it  upon  a  pole :  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  every  one  that  is  bitten,  when 
he  looketh  upon  it,  shall  live. 


2  Israel,  and  took  some  of  them  captive.  And 
Israel  vowed  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and  said,  If 
thou  wilt  indeed  deliver  this  people  into  my 
hand,  then  I  will  utterly  destroy  their  cities. 

3  And  the  Lord  hearkened  "to  the  voice  of  Israel, 
and  delivered  up  the  Canaanites  ;  and  they  ut- 
terly destroyed  them  and  their  cities :  and  the 
name  of  the  place  was  called  Hormah. 

4  And  they  journeyed  from  mount  Hor  by  the 
way  to  the  Red  Sea,  to  compass  the  land  of 
Edom :  and  the  soul  of  the  people  was  much 

5  discouraged  because  of  the  way.  And  the  peo- 
ple spake  against  God,  and  against  Moses, 
Wherefore  have  ye  brought  us  up  out  of  Egypt 
to  die  in  the  wilderness?  for  there  is  no  bread, 
and  there  is  no  water;  and  our  soul  loatlieth 

6  this  light  bread.  And  the  Lord  sent  fiery  ser- 
pents among  the  people,  and  they  bit  the  peo- 

7  pie ;  and  much  people  of  Israel  died.  And  the 
people  came  to  Moses,  and  said,  We  have  sinned, 
because  we  have  spoken  against  the  Lord,  and 
against  thee;  pray  unto  the  Lord,  that  he  take 
away  the  serpents  from  us.    And  Moses  prayed 

8  for  the  people.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
Make  thee  a  fiery  serpent,  and  set  it  upon  a 
standard  :  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  every 
one  that  is  bitten,  when  he  seeth  it,  shall  live. 


Israelites  were  smarting  under  the  disappoint- 
ment of  not  being  permitted  to  go  through 
Edom,  and  were  apparently  retreating,  that  this 
little  king  struck  his  spiteful  and  unexpected 
blow  and  carried  off  some  of  their  brethren. 
Unable  to  undertake  a  campaign  against  him 
at  this  time,  the  children  of  Israel  contented 
themselves  with  making  a  solemn  vow  to  Jeho- 
vah that  if  these  people  should  ever  fall  into 
their  power  they  would  accord  them  the  ex- 
treme treatment  of  putting  their  cities  under 
the  ban  (ver.  2).  For  the  ban,  see  Lev.  27,  28, 
seq.  It  is  human  nature  to  be  especially  resent- 
ful against  interferers  who  wantonly  put  added 
calamities  on  those  who  are  having  bad  luck 

(cf.  Ps.   137  :   7;    Obad.    10,   seq.).      The  aCCOUUt   of  tllC 

Canaanites'  defeat  (ver.  3)  is  here  inserted  by 
anticipation,  like  14  :  37,  38.  The  actual  con- 
quest and  banning  occurred  long  afterward. 
As  Dillmann  remarks,  if  this  fulfillment  of  the 
vow  had  been  carried  out  under  Moses,  the 
Israelites  must  necessarily  have  gained  a  com- 
plete victory  over  the  king  of  Arad  which 
would  have  removed  all  hindrance  to  their  in- 
vading the  Promised  Land  from  the  south.  The 
account  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  vow  is  given 
in  Judg.  1  :  17.  From  that  passage  we  learn 
that  the  chief  city  of  the  king  of  Arad  which, 
from  the  circumstance  of  the  banning,  was 
called  Hormah  (from  D^n,  cherem,  the  ban,  cf. 
on  14  :  45)  was  previously  called  Zephath. 

4-9.  Al  "^he  children  of  Israel  were  not  per- 
mitted to  go  through  the  land  of  Edom,  they  were 
obliged  to  go  around  it,  and  cross  the  Arabah  to 
its  east  side  far  to  the  south  of  Edom,  near  the 
head  of  the  gulf  of  'Akabah  (cf.  Deut.  2:8).   As  the 


way  led  down  into  that  hot,  barren  valley,  the 
burning  and  shifting  sands  and  the  gravel  and 
detritus  of  granite  which  in  that  region  make 
travel  so  difficult,  were  a  great  source  of  dis- 
couragement. Food  and  water  were  scarce,  and 
the  manna  to  which  the  people  were  more 
closely  than  ever  restricted  became  very  dis- 
tasteful (cf.  11  :  6).  Moreover,  that  region  was 
infested  with  serpents,  described  as  burning  ser- 
pents, perhaps  on  account  of  the  inflammation 
and  intense  thirst  caused  by  their  bite,  or  on 
account  of  their  fiery,  metallic  appearance,  or 
perhaps  for  both  reasons.  There  are  still  to  be 
found  in  that  part  of  Arabia  and  the  Arabah 
many  fiery  colored,  venomous  snakes  which  are 
much  dreaded  by  the  Arabs.  The  bite  of  these 
reptiles  proved  fatal  to  many  of  the  incautious 
Israelites ;  and  it  is  a  significant  mark  of  the 
chastened  spirit  of  this  generation,  as  com- 
pared with  the  rebellious  disposition  of  former 
years,  that  the  people  came  to  Moses  appar- 
ently of  their  own  accord  and  penitently  ac- 
counted for  these  bites  as  divine  visitations  in 
punishment  of  their  rebellious  words  against 
God  and  against  Moses  (cf.  ver.  5),  They  asked 
Moses  to  entreat  Jehovah  that  the  serpents 
might  be  called  off  from  their  mission  of  retri- 
bution. As  Moses  interceded  in  behalf  of  the 
people,  the  intimation  came  to  him  from  Jeho- 
vah, not  that  this  peril  incident  to  the  wilder- 
ness journey  would  be  removed,  but  that  while 
the  danger  from  the  deadly  reptiles  remained  as 
besetting  as  ever,  Moses  was  to  make  a  f]")!^,  sar- 
aph,  or  "  fiery  serpent,"  and  elevate  it  on  a  pole 
or  standard,  and  that  for  any  bitten  culprit  who 
should  look  at  this  image  of  his  tormentor  the 


82 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXI. 


9  And  Moses  made  a  serpent  of  brass,  and  put  it 
upon  a  pole,  and  it  came  to  pass,  tliat  if  a  serpent 
had  bitten  any  man,  wlien  he  beheld  the  serpent 
of  brass,  he  lived. 


9  And  Moses  made  a  serpent  of  brass,  and  set  it 
upon  the  standard  :  and  it  came  to  pass,  that  if 
a  serpent  had  bitten  any  man,  when  he  looked 


bite  would  not  be  fatal  (ver.  8),  Moses  made  the 
image  out  of  brass  and  set  it  on  the  standard, 
and  it  was  found  that  if  any  one  on  being  bitten 
looked  attentively  at  the  serpent  of  brass  he  es- 
caped the  deadly  efiect  of  the  poison  (ver.  9). 
This  introduction  into  the  religious  life  of  the 
Israelites  of  what  at  first  sight  looks  like  a  bit 
of  fetichism,  was  so  noteworthy  an  event  in  the 
history  of  religion  that  it  was  used  by  our 
Saviour  as  a  type  or  illustration  of  his  own 
spiritual  effect  on  the  life  of  the  world  (see  John 

3  :  14,  15). 

The  resemblance  of  the  brazen  serpent,  at 
least  in  its  religious  aspect,  to  the  manifestation 
of  the  Son  of  Man  must  be  sought  in  its  psychi- 
cal or  spiritual  power  for  the  people  of  its  time 
rather  than  its  mere  outward  features.  The  fea- 
tures of  similarity  between  a  healing  serpent 
lifted  up  on  a  pole  and  the  dying  Saviour  lifted 
up  on  the  cross  are  easily  observed,  and  with 
sufficient  ingenuity  and  the  employment  of  doc- 
trinal as  well  as  visible  analogies  they  may  be 
drawn  out  to  great  fineness  in  many  and  inter- 
esting ways.  But  these  are  resemblances  that 
suggest  themselves  to  us  who  have  the  saving 
and  inspiring  fulfilment  to  read  the  symbol  by. 
To  the  people  in  the  wilderness,  on  the  con- 
trary, this  serpent  was  not  a  symbol ;  there  was 
no  impulse  to  look  away  from  or  beyond  it  for 
its  hidden  meaning ;  it  simply  prevented  death 
when  they  looked  at  it.  It  is  to  be  remembered 
that  no  historic  Christ  had  come  to  throw 
light  on  this  piece  of  brass  for  them  ;  they  did 
not  have  the  second  term  of  the  comparison 
which  alone  could  make  an  analogy  intelligible 
or  possible.  In  short,  they  were  not  saved  by 
an  analogy  or  type ;  they  were  saved  by  a 
brazen  serpent.  The  analogy  of  this  serpent 
with  Christ  was  not  therefore  an  analogy  exist- 
ing in  the  people's  minds — not  a  doctrinal  anal- 
ogy which  could  be  fruitful  only  as  it  was  ex- 
pounded and  understood — but  a  similarity  of 
mental  or  spiritual  eftects  on  the  people  in  the 
wilderness  and  on  those  of  Christendom  re- 
spectively such  as  could  be  secured  without  doc- 
trinal explanation.  The  historical  inquiry  is  : 
What  did  the  unspeeulative  people  who  looked 
at  a  brass  serpent  and  were  healed  receive  for 
the  religious  life  which  was  commensurable 
with  what  those  receive  who  simply  and  unspec- 
ulatively  believe  in  Christ  ? 
That  this  unspeeulative  benefiting  was  spirit- 


ual and  not  merely  fetichistic  is  evident  from  the 
after  history  of  the  image.  When  the  people  in 
later  times  were  found  to  have  made  the  brazen 
serpent  into  a  fetich,  i.  e.,  an  object  containing 
mysterious  divine  power  in  itself,  it  was  stig- 
matized as  a  "piece  of  brass"  and  destroyed 
( 2  Kiugs  18 : 4 ) .  The  author  of  the  Wisdoiu  of  Solo- 
mon  calls  it  a  "symbol  of  salvation,"  only  he 
makes  it  a  reminder,  as  a  symbol,  of  the  com- 
mandment of  the  law,  and  says  that  he  who 
turned  to  it  was  not  saved  because  of  the  thing 
seen,  but  because  of  God  the  Saviour  of  all  (Wis- 
dom 16  :  5-7) .  That  the  use  of  the  serpent  image 
here  was  prompted  by  the  heathen  veneration  of 
the  serpent  as  the  divinity  of  wisdom  and  heal- 
ing, such  as  we  see  shadowed  in  the  emblem  of 
Esculapius  and  Hygeia,  is  an  impossible  suppo- 
sition, as  this  would  detach  it  in  idea  entirely 
from  the  deadly  creatures  which  were  the  occa- 
sion of  the  expedient.  Its  employment  points 
to  a  way  of  looking  at  sin  and  death  which  is 
connected  somehow  with  faith  in  Christ,  and 
each  theologian's  way  of  drawing  out  the  anal- 
ogy will  no  doubt  be  influenced  by  his  theory 
of  our  Saviour's  atonement  for  sin.  Not  un- 
unworthy  of  notice  is  the  danger  that  in  ex- 
pounding the  efficacy  of  the  cross  in  its  essential 
resemblance  to  the  power  of  the  serpent  in  the 
wilderness  the  atonement  itself  may  be  made 
fetichistic  through  laying  too  great  emphasis  on 
its  inscrutable  and  arbitrary  connection  with 
the  sin  for  which  it  is  the  appointed  specific. 
While  not  attributing  an  incredible  degree  of 
spiritual  discernment  to  the  bitten  Israelite,  we 
cannot  but  feel  that  somehow  he  idealized  sin 
and  its  penalty,  death,  in  the  act  of  being  healed. 
Lange  thus  contrasts  the  idea  of  death  and  sin 
of  which  this  was  the  starting-point  with  the 
pagan  idea:  "Heathenism  proclaims  its  delu- 
sion in  two  words :  sin  is  merely  an  ill,  an  en- 
durable fate,  but  the  ill  itself  is  the  real  peculiar 
harm,  far  worse  than  the  sin.  Christendom,  on 
the  contrary,  in  its  truth  proclaims  :  sin  is  the 
intolerable  injury,  but  the  ill  result,  its  conse- 
quence, is  also  its  remedy.  Thus  in  the  cross,  or 
even  in  death,  in  the  communion  in  death  with 
Christ,  is  salvation."  This  much  of  resem- 
blance in  spiritual  effect  between  type  and  anti- 
type we  may  perhaps  discern  without  an  undue 
excursion  into  the  realms  of  fancy :  The  ser- 
pent's victim  felt  himself  dying ;  and  in  that 
moment  of  intense  experience  so  full  of  helpless- 


Ch.  XXI.] 


NUMBERS 


83 


10  And  the  children  of  Israel  set  forward,  and 
pitched  in  Oboth. 

11  And  they  journeyed  from  Oboth,  and  pitched 
at  Ije-abarim,  in  the  wilderness  which  is  before 
Moab,  toward  the  sunrising. 

12  From  thence  they  removed,  and  pitched  in  the 
valley  of  Zared. 

13  From  thence  they  removed,  and  pitched  on 
the  other  side  of  Arnon,  which  is  in  the  wilderness 
that  Cometh  out  of  the  coasts  of  the  Amorites  :  for 
Arnon  is  the  border  of  Moab,  between  Moab  and 
the  Amorites. 

14  Wherefore  it  is  said  in  the  book  of  the  wars  of 
the  Lord,  What  he  did  in  the  Red  sea,  and  in  the 
brooks  of  Arnon, 

15  And  at  the  stream  of  the  brooks  that  goeth 
down  to  the  dwelling  of  Ar,  and  lieth  upon  the 
border  of  Moab. 


10  unto  the  serpent  of  brass,  he  lived.  And  the 
children  of  Israel   journeyed,  and  pitched  in 

11  Obotli.  And  they  journeyed  from  Oboth,  and 
pitclied  at  lye-abarim,  in  the  wilderness  which 

12  is  before  Moab,  toward  the  sunrising.  From 
thence  they  journeyed,  and  pitched  in  the  val- 

13  ley  of  Zered.  From  tlience  they  journeyed,  and 
pitclied  on  the  otlier  side  oi  Arnon,  which  is  in 
the  wilderness,  that  cometh  out  of  the  border 
of  the  Amorites:    for  Arnon  is  the  border  of 

14  Moab,  between  Moab  and  the  Amorites.  Where- 
fore it  is  said  in  the  book  of  the  Wars  of  the 
Lord, 

Vaheb  in  Suphah, 

And  the  valleys  of  Arnon, 

15  And  the  slope  of  the  valleys 

That  inclineth  toward  tlie  dwelling  of  Ar, 
And  leaneth  upon  the  border  of  Moab. 


ness  and  penitence  and  fear,  he  looked  away 
from  himself  to  the  divinely  ordained  image,  and 
through  that  upward  glance  perceived  his  death 
messenger  so  idealized  and  exalted  that  the  very 
perception  and  wonder  set  up  a  reactionary 
movement  sufficient  to  counteract  the  burning 
poison.  The  identification  of  his  penalty  and 
his  healing  was  not  only  a  fancy  but  a  personal 
consciousness.  So  in  regard  to  the  great  fulfill- 
ment on  the  cross  :  whatever  theories  we  may 
attempt  from  the  computed  standpoint  of  the 
divine  intention,  it  remains  a  great  world-fact 
fi-om  the  standpoint  of  the  human  consciousness 
that  Christianity  has  so  idealized  the  death  on 
the  cross  as  through  faith  to  identify  that  death 
with  the  believer's  own,  and  so  secure  his  peace 
with  God  and  the  birth  of  the  new  man  in  his 
inner  life. 

10-30.  Between  Mount  Hor  and  Oboth  (ver.  lo) 
the  itinerary  in  chap.  33  inserts  the  two  stations 
Zalmonah  and  Punon  (33  :  4i,  i2)^  which  are 
perhaps  camping  stations  in  that  part  of  the 
wilderness  where  the  plague  of  the  serpents 
occurred.  Ije-abarim  (ver.  ii),  or,  Ruins  of 
Aharim,  so  called  in  distinction  from  the  lim, 
or  ruins  in  Judah  (Josh,  is  :  29),  is  described 
as  over  against  Moab  toward  the  sun-rising. 
The  children  of  Israel  have  now  rounded  the 
south  end  of  the  Arabah  at  Ezion-geber,  and 
are  skirting  its  eastern  side  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Abarim,  or  mountains  of  the  "  Further 
Eegions,"  which  form  a  less  precipitous  side  of 
the  valley  of  the  Arabah  than  the  mountains  on 
the  west  side  of  that  deep  depression.  It  is 
somewhere  here  that  we  may  locate  the  command 
in  Deuteronomy  (Deut.  2  :  3)  "Ye  have  com- 
passed this  mountain  (i-  e.,  Seir,  cf.  ver.  4)  long 
enough:  turn  you  northward."  They  are  still 
in  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Seir,  or  the  territory  of 
Edom  which  extends  on  both  sides  of  the  Ara- 
bah, and  they  seem  to  be  enjoined  to  avoid  in- 
vading the  nations  in  all  this  vicinity.  It  ap- 
pears that  they  are  going  around  Moab  on  its 


eastern  side  (cf.  Judg.  11  :  is),  and  the  injunction  to 
"vex  not  Moab"  (i>eut.  2  :  9)  is  inserted  by  the 
Samaritan  Pentateuch  immediately  after  ver. 
II.  A  little  farther  along  a  similar  injunction 
is  laid  upon  the  people  against  any  collision 
with  the  children  of  Amiuon  (Dtut.  2  :  19,  inserted 
by  Sam.  after  ver.  12).  The  Valley  of  Zered 
(ver.  12),  which  is  coujccturally  identified  with 
the  modern  Wady  Kerak,  called  in  its  upper 
courses  Wady  'Ain  Franjy,  was  the  first  west- 
ward flowing  brook  which  crossed  their  line 
of  march,  and  the  moment  of  passing  this 
ravine  is  made  in  the  Moses  discourse  in 
Deuteronomy  to  mark  the  end  of  the  wilder- 
ness wandering,  the  w^hole  period  from  the  time 
of  the  sentence  to  the  crossing  of  the  ravine  be- 
ing placed  at  thirty-eight  years  (Deut.  2 :  14).  In 
their  next  move  they  came  to  the  Arnon  (ver. 
13),  the  present  Wady  Mojib,  a  narrow  but  very 
deep  ravine  running  across  the  whole  country 
of  Moab.  This  ravine  divides  into  several 
branches  farther  up  the  plateau,  all  of  them 
precipitous  and  forming  a  very  difiicult  frontier. 
These  branches  are  indicated  by  the  plural 
^'valleys  of  Arnon,"  in  the  fragment  of  the  old 
song  (ver.  14).  It  was  to  the  upper  courses  of  the 
Arnon  that  the  Israelites  came.  That  they 
camped  on  the  other  side  does  not  mean  that 
they  crossed  it ;  the  account  is  written  from  the 
standpoint  of  Western  Palestine,  and  the  other, 
or  further  side  means  the  south  side.  Before 
the  children  of  Israel  venture  to  cross  this  ravine, 
which  is  the  frontier  beyond  which  the  fighting 
is  to  commence,  they  send  their  messengers  to 
Sihon  (ver.  21). 

At  this  point  the  writer  inserts  (ver.  14,  is)  a 
fragment  of  a  song  taken  from  a  collection  other- 
wise unknown  called  the  "  Book  of  the  Wars  of 
Jehovah" — perhaps  the  earliest  verbatim  cita- 
tion from  written  documents  or  anthologies,  as 
distinguished  from  oral  song  or  legend.  The 
old  collection  very  likely  contained  songs,  espe- 
cially folk-songs,  taken  from  the  heroic  times  of 


84 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXI. 


16  And  from  thence  they  went  to  Beer :  that  is  the 
well  whereof  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  Gather 
the  people  together,  and  I  will  give  them  water. 

17  Then  Israel  sang  this  song,  Spring  up,  O  well ; 
sing  ye  unto  it: 

18  The  princes  digged  the  well,  the  nobles  of  the 
people  digged  it,  by  the  direction  uf  the  lawgiver, 
with  their  staves.  And  from  the  wilderness  they 
went  to  Mattanali : 

19  And  from  Mattanah  to  Nahaliel :  and  from 
Nahaliel  to  Bamoth : 

20  And  from  Bamoth  in  the  valley,  that  is  in  the 
country  of  Moab,  to  the  top  of  Pisgah,  which  look- 
eth  toward  Jeshimon. 

21  And  Israel  sent  messengers  unto  Sihon  king  of 
the  Amorites,  saying, 

22  Let  me  pass  through  thy  land:  we  will  not 
turn  into  the  fields,  or  into  the  vineyards  ;  we  will 
not  drink  of  the  waters  of  the  well :  hut  we  will  go 
along  by  the  king's  high  way,  until  we  be  past  thy 
borders. 


16  And  from  thence  they  journeyed  to  Beer :  that  is 
the  well  whereof  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses, 
Gather  the  people  together,  and  I  will  give  them 
water. 

17  Then  sang  Israel  this  song : 
Spring  up,  O  well ;  sing  ye  unto  it : 

18  The  well,  which  the  princes  digged, 
Which  the  nobles  of  the  people  delved, 
With  the  sceptre,  and  with  their  staves. 

And  from  the  wilderness  they  journeyed  to  Mat- 

19  tanah :   and  from   Mattanah  to  Nahaliel :   and 

20  from  Nahaliel  to  Bamoth  :  and  from  Bamoth  to 
the  valley  that  is  in  the  field  of  Moab,  to  the  top 
of  Pisgah,  which  looketh  down  upon  the  desert. 

21  And  Israel  sent  messengers  unto  Sihon  king  of 

22  the  Amorites,  saying.  Let  me  pass  through  thy 
land:  we  will  not  turn  aside  into  field,  or  into 
vineyard  ;  we  will  not  drink  of  the  water  of  the 
wells :  we  will  go  by  the  king's  high  way,  until 


the  wars  that  were  waged  in  Jehovah's  name 
against  the  heathen.  In  the  earlier  period  of 
the  monarchy  the  battles  of  Israel  against  the 
Philistines  began  to  be  thought  of  as  Jehovah's 
wars  (see  1  Sam.  17  :  45  ;  18  :  17 ;  25  :  28).  Not  im- 
probably the  Well  Song  (ver.  17,  18),  and  the  Song 
of  Moses  (Exod.  15  :  1-18),  were  preserved  in  this 
collection.  This  fragment  simply  enumerates 
some  names  of  places  in  the  accusative  as  the 
object  of  some  verb  not  given,  and  appears  to 
be  interesting  to  the  writer  on  account  of  the 
mention  of  Arnon  and  its  valleys.  The  first 
words  are  obscure  and  are  given  as  proper 
names  in  the  Revised  version.  George  Adam 
Smith  translates : 

"  Waheb  in  Suphah  [we  passed]  and  the  val- 
leys of  Arnon, 

And  the  cliiF  of  the  valleys,  which  stretches 
to  Ar's  seat, 

And  leans  on  the  border  of  Moab." 

The  places  mentioned  in  ver.  16-20  are  thus 
identified  by  Henry  A.  Harper,  who  quotes 
from  Major  Conder  of  the  Palestine  Exploration 
Fund  :  "  They  went  on  to  *  Beer,'  where  a  well 
was  dug,  thence  to  Mattanah,  which  we  may 
easily  recognize  as  the  great  Wady  Waleh,  with 
its  rude  stone  monuments  and  brook.  Nahaliel, 
'the  valley  of  God,'  is  the  gorge  of  Callirhoe, 
above  which  on  the  north  stands  another  great 
group  of  both  menhirs  and  dolmens,  and  thus 
Bamoth  Baal  falls  into  place  as  the  ridge  south 
of  the  stream  of  Wady  Jideid,  now  called  the 
'  Crucified  One,'  which  presents  a  group  of 
more  than  a  hundred  rude  stone  monuments. 
The  Israelite  journey  was  thus  in  a  straight  line 
to  Pisgah,  and  their  camps  were  at  distances 
equal  to  those  which  the  Bedawin  accomplished 
on  an  average  in  their  moves.  Each  great 
brook  is  mentioned,  and  the  line  is  that  which 
a  large  body  of  men  must  of  necessity  take  on 


account  of  the  absence  of  water  on  the  flat 
plateau  further  east.  Now  they  got  their  first 
view  of  the  Land  of  Promise,  for  they  looked 
toward  Jeshimon,  that  waste  west  of  the  Dead 
Sea."  The  occurrence  at  Beer  (ver.  le)  was  per- 
haps notable  as  being  the  people's  first  experi- 
ence of  supplying  their  want  of  water  through 
good,  downright,  self-reliant  digging,  as  distin- 
guished from  miracle  or  hunting  for  water- 
courses. We  can  imagine  with  what  alacrity 
all  classes  of  the  people,  even  the  princes  and 
nobles,  sprang  to  the  task  of  obeying  the  novel 
and  grateful  command.  The  event  is  celebrated 
with  another  quotation  from  old  folk-song.  In- 
stead of,  By  the  direction  of  the  lawgiver 
(ver.  18),  the  translation  of  the  Eevised  version 
is  to  be  preferred.  It  is  perhaps  needless  to  say 
that  not  a  literal  digging  with  scepter  and  stafi" 
of  ofiice  is  meant  in  the  poetic  imagery  of  the 
song,  but  such  a  personal  interest  in  and  minute 
direction  of  the  work  as  exemplified  what  can 
be  accomplished  when  the  most  intelligent  and 
powerful  enter  genuinely  into  details  with  their 
men.  *'  This  journey,  though  it  is  described  in 
the  book  of  Numbers  before  the  war  with  Sihon, 
must  have  come  after  the  latter.  No  host,  so 
large  and  encumbered  as  this,  could  have  ven- 
tured down  any  of  the  glens  from  the  plateau 
to  the  Jordan  before  their  own  warriors  had  oc- 
cupied Heshbon,  for  Heshbon,  standing  above 
them,  commands  these  glens"  (Smith). 

21  "30.  The  history  of  this  war  with  Sihon  is 
given  as  from  the  lips  of  Moses  in  Deut.  2 :  26-37. 
The  place  from  which  the  messengers  were  sent 
is  there  specified  as  the  Wilderness  of  Kedemoth, 
or  "eastern  parts"  (oeut.  2:26).  The  Amorite 
king  though  marked  for  defeat  (oeut.  2  :  24),  was 
first  addressed  with  "  words  of  peace,"  in  order 
that  his  destruction  might  be  on  his  own  head. 
A  request  for  a  harmless  passage  through  his 
land,  similar  to  the  one  sent  to  the  king  of 


Ch.  XXI.] 


NUMBERS 


85 


23  And  Sihon  would  not  suffer  Israel  to  pass 
through  his  border :  but  Sihon  gathered  all  his 
people  together,  and  went  out  against  Israel  into 
the  wilderness  :  and  he  came  to  Jahaz,  and  fought 
against  Israel. 

24  And  Israel  smote  him  with  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  possessed  his  land  from  Arnon  unto 
Jabbok,  even  unto  tlie  children  of  Ammou  :  for  the 
border  of  the  children  of  Ammon  was  strong. 

25  And  Israel  took  all  these  cities :  and  Israel 
dwelt  in  all  the  cities  of  the  Amorites,  in  Heshbon, 
and  in  all  the  villages  thereof. 

26  For  Heshbon  ivas  the  city  of  Sihon  the  king  of 
the  Amorites,  who  had  fought  against  the  former 
king  of  Moab,  and  taken  all  his  land  out  of  his 
hand,  even  unto  Arnon. 

27  Wherefore  they  that  speak  in  proverbs  say, 
Come  into  Heshbon,  let  the  city  of  Sihon  be  buiit 
and  prepared : 

28  For  there  is  a  fire  gone  out  of  Heshbon,  a  flame 
from  the  city  of  Sihon :  it  hath  consumed  Ar  of 
Moab,  and  the  lords  of  the  high  places  of  Arnon. 

29  Woe  to  thee,  Moab  !  thou  art  undone,  O  people 
of  Chemosh  :  he  hath  given  his  sons  that  escaped, 
and  his  daughters,  into  captivity  unto  Sihon  king 
of  the  Amorites. 

30  We  have  shot  at  them ;  Heshbon  is  perished 
even  unto  Dibon,  and  we  have  laid  them  waste 
even  uuto  Nophah,  which  reacheth  unto  Medeba. 


23  we  have  passed  thy  border.  And  Sihon  would 
not  suffer  Israel  to  pass  through  his  border :  but 
Sihon  gathered  all  his  people  together,  and  went 
out  against  Israel  into  the  wilderness,  and  came 

24  to  Jahaz :  and  he  fought  against  Israel.  And 
Israel  smote  him  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
and  possessed  his  land  from  Arnon  unto  Jab- 
bok, even  unto  the  children  of  Ammon  :  for  the 
border  of  the  children  of  Amnion  was  strong. 

25  And  Israel  took  all  these  cities:  and  Israel 
dwelt  in  all  the  cities  of  the  Amorites,  in  Hesh- 

26  bon,  and  in  all  the  towns  there(jf.  For  Heshbou 
was  the  city  of  Sihon  the  king  of  the  Amorites, 
who  had  fought  against  the  former  king  of 
Moab,  and  taken  all  his  land  out  of  his  hand, 

27  even  unto  Arnon.  Wherefore  they  that  speak 
in  proverbs  say, 

Come  ye  to  Heshbon, 

Let  the  city  of  Sihon  be  built  and  established  : 

28  For  a  fire  is  gone  out  of  Heshbon, 
A  flame  froiu  the  city  of  Sihon : 
It  hath  devoured  Ar  of  Moab, 

The  lords  of  the  high  places  of  Arnon. 

29  Woe  to  thee,  Moab  I 

Thou  art  undone,  O  people  of  Chemosh : 
He  hath  given  his  sons  as  fugitives. 
And  his  daughters  into  captivity, 
Unto  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites. 

30  We  have  shot  at  them ;  Heshbou  is  perished 

even  unto  Dibon, 
And  we  have  laid  waste  even  unto  Nophah, 
Which  reacheth  uuto  Medeba. 


Edom  (20  :  17-19),  which  latter,  by  the  way,  seems 
to  have  been  not  altogether  unheeded,  at  least 
on  the  east  of  the  Arabah  (see  Deut.  2  :  29),  was 
met  by  a  refusal  and  a  gathering  of  Sihon' s 
forces  at  Jahaz,  a  place  in  the  neighborhood  of 

Kedemoth    (Deut.  2  :  32  ;    Isa.    15  :  4  ;     Jer.    48  :  21,  34), 

and  near  the  southeast  limit  of  Sihon' s  terri- 
tory. Instead  of  turning  aside,  as  in  the  former 
case  (cf.  20  :  21),  from  their  course,  which  from 
high  up  some  branch  of  the  Arnon,  where  they 
were,  must  necessarily  strike  westward  across 
Sihon's  territory  in  order  to  reach  the  Jordan, 
the  Israelites  met  him  in  battle  and  gained  a 
decisive  victory — one  of  the  much  celebrated 
events  of  Israelitish  history  (ps.  i35  :  ii ;  i36  :  19)— 
which  gave  them  possession  of  the  whole  of  his 
territory  from  Anion  unto  Jabbok.  Sihon's 
dominion  is  described  in  Josh.  12 : 2.  The  advance 
of  the  victory-flushed  Israelites  was  stopped 
only  by  the  border  of  the  children  of 
Ammon,  which  is  naively  characterized  as 
strong  (ver.  24).  Another  and  more  theocratic 
reason  existed,  according  to  Deuteronomy  (2 :  i9, 
37),  for  not  invading  the  territory  of  Amnion,  but 
no  doubt  the  good  strong  frontier  was  a  great  help 
to  the  Israelites  in  interpreting  the  divine  com- 
mand in  this  case.  The  elation  of  realizing 
that  so  soon  in  their  fighting  career  the  Israel- 
ites were  actually  dwelling  in  the  cities  of  the 
Amorites,  and  especially  in  Heshbon,  Sihon's 
capital,  and  in  all  the  "  daughters  "  or  depend- 
ent towns  thereof,  furnishes  occasion  for  giving 
an  account  of  how  this  Moabitish  territory  came 
into  possession  of  an  Amoidte  king  to  begin  with. 


"That  Israel's  fighting  began  after  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Arnon,  was  due  to  a  recent  change  in 
the  political  disposition  of  Eastern  Palestine. 
Properly  all  the  country  from  Jabbok  to  Arnon 
belonged,  northwards  to  Ammon,  southwards 
to  Moab.  But  shortly  before  Israel's  arrival, 
Sihon,  an  Amorite  king  from  Western  Palestine, 
had  crossed  the  Jordan,  and  driving  Moab  south- 
wards over  Arnon,  and  Ammon  eastwards  to 
the  sources  of  the  Jabbok,  had  founded  a  king- 
dom for  himself  between  these  two  rivers." 
(George  Adam  Smith,  "  Historical  Geograpliy 
of  the  Holy  Land." )  The  taunt-song  is  quoteti  as 
from  they  that  speak  in  proverbs,  a  name 
very  nearly  equivalent  to  our  expression,  "  the 
poets."  The  Avord  ^^^,  maskal,  or  proverb, 
from  a  verb  which  means  to  compare,  is  not 
only  used  as  a  title  for  the  book  of  Proverbs 
(Prov.  1:1),  but  may  designate  almost  any  kind 
of  poetry,  or  elevated  and  imaginative  speaking. 
Balaam  on  three  occasions  "lifted  up  his 
mashal"  (23 : 7;  24 : 3,  15),  Job  in  resuming  his 
response  to  his  friends  "added  to  lift  up  his 
mashal''  (Job  27:1),  and  the  people  of  Israel 
when  they  are  delivered  from  their  troubles  are 
invited  to  "lift  up"  a  prescribed  mashal,  or 
triumphant  satire  against  the  king  of  Babylon 
(Isa.  14  :  4).  The  song  here  in  Numbers  "  opens 
with  the  taunt  of  the  victorious  Israel  to  the 
Amorites  to  return  and  rebuild  their  city  (vtr.  27), 
then  (ver.  28,  29)  dcscribes  how  the  Amorites 
had  come  to  be  there,  namely,  by  previously 
taking  the  country  from  Moab,  and  returns 
(ver.  30)  to  the  keynote  of  Israel's  own  victory: 


S6 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXII. 


31  Thus  Israel  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  Amorites. 

32  And  Moses  sent  to  spy  out  Jaazer,  and  they 
took  the  villages  thereof,  and  drove  out  the  Amor- 
ites that  were  there. 

33  And  they  turned  and  went  up  by  the  way  of 
Bashan :  and  Og  the  king  of  Bashan  went  out 
against  them,  he,  and  all  his  people,  to  the  battle 
at  Edrei. 

34  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Fear  him  not : 
for  I  have  delivered  him  into  thy  hand,  and  all  his 
people,  and  his  land  ;  and  thou  shalt  do  to  him  as 
thou  didst  unto  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  which 
dwelt  at  Heshbon. 

35  So  they  smote  him,  and  his  sons,  and  all  his 
people,  until  there  was  none  left  him  alive :  and 
they  possessed  his  land. 


31  Thus  Israel  dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  Amorites. 

32  And  Moses  sent  to  spy  out  Jazer,  and  they  took 
tlie  towns  thereof,  and  drove  out  the  Amorites 

33  that  were  there.  And  they  turned  and  went  up 
by  the  way  of  Bashan :  and  Og  the  king  of 
Bashan  went  out  against  them,  he  and  all  his 

34  people,  to  battle  at  Edrei.  And  the  Lord  said 
unto  Moses,  Fear  him  not:  for  I  have  delivered 
him  into  thy  hand,  and  all  his  peop]e,  and  his 
land  ;  and  thou  shalt  do  to  him  as  thou  didst 
unto  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  which  dwelt 

35  at  Heshbon.  So  they  smote  him,  and  his  sons, 
and  all  his  people,  until  there  was  none  left  him 
remaining  :  and  they  possessed  his  land. 


CHAPTER    XXII 


1  AND  the  children  of  Israel  set  forward,  and 
pitched  in  the  plains  of  Moab  on  this  side  Jordan 
by  Jericho. 


1  AND  the  children  of  Israel  journeyed,  and 
pitched  in  the  plains  of  Moab  beyond  the  Jordan 
at  Jericho. 


*'  Come  ye  to  Heshbon  ! 
Let  the  city  of  Sihon  be  built  and  set  up  again ! 
For  fire  had  gone  forth  from  Heshbon, 
Flame  from  the  fortress  of  Sihon, 
Had  devoured  'Ar  of  Moab, 
And  consumed  the  high  places  of  Arnon. 
Woe  to  thee,  Moab  ! 
Thou  art  undone,  people  of  Chemosh ! 
He  hath  given  up  his  sons  to  be  runaways, 
His  daughters  to  captivity. 
To  the  king  of  the  Amorites,  Sihon ! 
But  we  shot  at  them,  Heshbon  was  undone — 

unto  Daibon, 
And  we  laid  waste  unto  Nobah  (?),  which 

lies  on  the  desert"  (Smith). 

The  reading,  the  deseH  (ver.  so),  instead  of 
Medeba,  is  adopted  by  Dillmann,  from  the 
Peshitto,  on  the  supposition  that  Nophali  is  the 
same  as  the  Nobah  of  Judg.  8  :  11,  Avhich  is 
northeast  of  Heshbon  and  not  near  Medeba  at 
all.  But  the  text  is  very  uncertain.  Heshbon 
"was  situate  on  a  low  hill  rising  out  of  the 
elevated  table-land  about  sixteen  miles  east  of 
the  Jordan,  where  its  ruins  (of  the  Roman 
period)  are  still  visible"  (Driver.)  Chemosh 
(ver.  29)  was  the  national  god  of  the  Moabites 
(cf.  Jer.  48  : 7, 13,  46),  no  doubt  the  vcry  deity  to 
whom  Mesha,  the  king  of  Moab,  offered  up  his 
son  as  a  burnt  offering  (2  Kings  3  :  27).  The  wor- 
ship of  Chemosh  was  introduced  into  Israel  by 

Solomon  (1  Kings  11  :  7  ;   2  Kings  23  :  13).      Several  of 

these  names  appear  on  the  celebrated  Moabite 
Stone  of  King  Mesha,  from  which  the  spelling 
Daihon  (ver.  so)  is  adopted  by  Professor  Smith, 

31-35.  The  account  of  the  conquest  of  Bashan, 
and  the  description  of  the  country,  are  more  fully 
given  in  Deut.  3  :  1-17.  This  section  in  Num- 
bers is  pronounced  by  critics  an  insertion  by  a 
Deuteronomic  writer;  and  indeed  there  is  but 


little  mention  of  Og  and  the  conquest  of  his 
country  in  the  Hexateuch  outside  of  the  well- 
marked  Deuteronomic  passages.  Israel  was 
probably  settled  for  some  time  in  the  Moabitish 
country  (ver.  31),  and  it  appears  that  in  some 
campaign  on  which  Moses'  emissaries  completed 
the  conquest  of  Sihon's  country  by  taking 
Ja'azer,  a  city  some  ten  miles  northeast  of 
Heshbon,  and  its  towns,  from  which  they  ex- 
pelled the  Amorites,  they  "turned"  (cf.  Deut. 
3:1)  and  went  up  Bashan- way,  and  thus  pro- 
voked a  hostile  demonstration  from  Og,  the  king 
of  that  country  (ver.  33),  "A  chief,  such  as  Og 
is  represented  to  be,  was  not  likely  to  be  quies- 
cent before  so  strong  an  invader  on  his  own  side 
of  the  river."  Bashan  is  the  region  extending 
from  the  Yarmuk,  a  stream  entering  the  Jordan 
from  the  east  not  far  from  the  south  end  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  northward  to  Mount  Hermon, 
and  eastward  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee  to  the 
range  of  mountains  called  Jebel  Hauran,  or  the 
mountains  of  Hauran.  Deuteronomy  does  not 
make  it  very  clear  how  or  when  the  country  of 
Gilead,  or  the  region  from  the  Jabbok  to  the 
Yarmuk,  was  subdued  by  the  Israelites ;  and  it 
sometimes  reads  as  if  the  dominion  of  Og  ex- 
tended to  the  Jabbok.  The  place  where  Og 
gave  battle  was  Edrei,  the  present  Adra'a,  east 
of  the  source  of  the  Yarmuk.  Edrei  is  usually 
mentioned  in  connection  with  'Ashtaroth  (Josh. 

12  :  4;    13  :  12,  31  ;    Deut.  1  :  4)    and    appCai'S    tO    liaVC 

been  one  of  the  residences  of  the  king,  Avhile 
Ashtaroth  Avas  his  capital  (Josh.  9  :  lo),  Jehovah 
assured  Moses  that  he  should  subdue  Og  and  his 
country  in  the  same  decisive  way  in  which  he 
had  conquered  Sihon  (ver.  34),  a  prediction  which 
was  abundantly  fulfilled  (ver.  35). 


Chap.  22  :  1  is  probably  from  the  priestly 
source,  and  is  connected  in  sense  with  ver.  10, 


r 


Ch.  XXII.] 


NUMBERS 


87 


2  And  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor  saw  all  that  Israel 
had  done  to  the  Amorites. 

3  And  Moab  was  sore  afraid  of  the  people,  be- 
cause they  were  many :  and  Moab  was  distressed 
because  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

4  And  Moab  said  unto  the  elders  of  Midian,  Now 
shall  this  company  lick  up  all  that  are  round  about 
us,  as  the  ox  licketh  up  the  grass  of  the  held.  And 
Balak  the  son  of  Zippor  was  king  of  the  Moabites 
at  that  time. 


2  And  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor  saw  all  that  Is- 

3  rael  had  done  to  the  Amorites.  And  Moab  was 
sore  afraid  of  the  people,  because  they  were 
many  :  and  Moab  was  distressed  because  of  the 

4  children  of  Israel.  And  Moab  said  unto  the 
elders  of  Midian,  Now  shall  this  multitude  lick 
up  all  that  is  round  about  us,  as  the  ox  licketh 
up  the  grass  of  the  held.    And  Balak  the  son  of 


11.  It  is  a  summary  of  the  journey,  given  more 
in  detail  in  33  :  45-48,  from  the  first  camping- 
place  on  the  confines  of  Moab  to  the  Jordan 


Valley  a  little  above  the  north  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  On  this  side  Jordan  should  rather  be, 
beyond  the  Jordan,  as  in  K.  V. 


PART  THIRD.       OCCURRENCES   AND    DIVINE    INSTRUCTIONS   DURING 
THE  SOJOURN  IN  THE  STEPPES  OF  MOAB,  CHAPTERS  22  :  2  TO  36. 


This  third  section  opens  with  an  account 
of  the  performances  of  Balak  the  king  of 
Moab  who,  appalled  by  the  number  and  suc- 
cess of  the  children  of  Israel,  sought  to  enlist 
the  unseen  supernatural  forces  against  these 
formidable  invaders  through  the  soothsayer 
Balaam,  but  was  foiled  by  Jehovah's  taking 
control  of  the  seer's  operations  and  turning  the 
curse  into  a  blessing.  Meanwhile  Israel,  the 
course  of  whose  history  this  treatment  does 
not  directly  modify,  was  placidly  lying  in 
the  plains  of  Moab  stretched  out  from  Beth- 
jeshimoth  to  Abel-shittim  ;  and  the  only  prom- 
inent occurrences  related  in  connection  with 
this  part  of  the  history  are  the  falling  into  the 
seductive  temptations  of  the  Baal-peor  worship 
(chap.  25),  with  the  consequent  retribution  of  the 
plague,  and  the  war  with  Midian  undertaken  by 
Israel  as  the  punitive  agents  of  Jehovah,  and 
resulting  in  a  permanent  rule  for  the  distribu- 
tion of  spoil  (chap.  31).  Much  work  of  a  plan- 
ning and  statistical  nature  was  accomplished, 
such  as  the  second  taking  of  the  census,  the  al- 
lotment of  the  land  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan  to 
the  two  tribes  and  a  half  which  chose  to  inherit 
the  pastoral  territory  already  conquered,  the 
fixing  of  the  tribal  boundaries  in  western  Pales- 
tine, and  the  designating  of  Levitical  towns 
and  cities  of  refuge.  A  recapitulation  of  all 
the  stations  occupied  during  the  wilderness 
journey  is  inserted  from  the  priestly  sources, 
and  various  regulations  regarding  the  inherit- 
ance and  marriage  of  heiresses,  the  priestly  of- 
ferings for  stated  occasions,  and  the  sanctity  of 
vows,  complete  the  preparation  of  the  tribes  for 
their  entrance  on  their  promised  possession. 

2-41.  Balaam's  summons  to  curse  Is- 
rael, AND  HIS  JOURNEY  TO  MOAB.  Balak 
the  son  of  Zippor  (ver.  2)  is  explained  in  ver. 
4,  as  being  king  of  Moab  at  the  time.    Perhaps 


he  was  not  the  hereditary  descendant  of  the 
"former  king  of  Moab"  (21  :  26)  who  was 
dispossessed  by  Sihou,  but  one  of  a  new  dy- 
nasty, and  not  impossibly  a  Midiauite,  as  the 
later  Targums  make  him,  a  circumstance 
which  would  be  in  keeping  with  the  totemistic 
suggestion  of  his  ancestor's  name  *TI5V,  Tsippor, 
or  "  bird,"  as  compared  with  other  Midianite 
princes'  names,  ^"^S,  'Orel,  "crow,"  and  JNf, 
Zeeh,  "  wolf"  (Judg.  7  :  25).  He  may  have  been 
imposed  on  the  Moabites  as  a  ruler  by  Sihon  (cf. 
Josh.  13  :  21).  The  Moabites,  who  had  been 
driven  to  the  south  of  Arnon  (see  on  21  :  21-30) , 
now  found  themselves  completely  flanked  by 
the  children  of  Israel  who  had  gone  around  tliem 
without  harming  them  and  obtained  a  firm 
lodgment  to  their  north,  on  the  very  ground 
which  they  had  been  unable  to  defend  and  re- 
tain. Ver.  3  contains  a  doubled  .statement  de- 
scribing the  emotions  of  the  Moabites  at  being 
thus  calmly  shouldered  aside  by  a  numerous 
and  mysterious  people  :  thej'^  were  terrified,  and 
they  were  distressed,  or,  disgusted — such  a 
feeling  as  Rebekah  had  regarding  the  daugh- 
ters of  Heth  (Gen.  2"  :  46),  or  the  Egyptians  re- 
garding the  rapidly  multiplying  Israelite  slaves 
whom  they  afflicted  (Kxod.  1  :  12).  The  particular 
horror  wiiich  the  Moabites  expressed  in  their 
plea  with  the  elders  of  Midian  for  an  alliance 
was  not  the  fear  of  their  new  neighbors'  military 
prowess,  but  the  apprehension  of  being  eaten 
out  of  house  and  home  (ver.  ■»),  a  .«50inewhat  spe- 
cious sort  of  plea  for  a  pastoral  people  (cf.  3i  :  32, 
seq. :  2  Kings  3 :  4)  who  had  fcw  growing  crops  to 
be  disturbed.  The  INIidianites  ought  to  liave 
been  able  to  appreciate  the  description  of  such 
greedy  traits  as  especially  characterized  them- 
selves (•ludg.  6  :  s-5).  The  isolated  mention  of  the 
elders  of  Midian  (ver.  4, 7)  comes  somewhat 
unprepared,  and  leads  one  to  remark  that  a 


88 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXII. 


5  He  sent  messengers  therefore  unto  Balaam  the 
sou  of  Beor  to  Petlior,  which  is  by  the  river  of  the 
laud  of  the  children  of  his  people,  to  call  him,  say- 
ing, Behold,  tiiere  is  a  people  come  out  from  Egypt : 
behold,  they  cover  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  they 
abide  over  against  me : 

6  Come  now  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this 
people  ;  for  they  are  too  mighty  for  me  :  peradven- 
ture  I  shall  prevail,  that  we  may  smite  them,  and 
that  I  may  drive  them  out  of  the  land :  for  I  wot 
that  he  whom  thou  blessest  is  blessed,  and  he  whom 
thou  cursest  is  cursed. 

7  And  the  elders  of  Moab  and  the  elders  of  Midian 
departed  with  the  rewards  of  divination  in  their 
hand ;  and  they  came  unto  Balaam,  and  spake  unto 
him  the  words  of  Balak. 


5  Zippor  was  king  of  Moab  at  that  time.  And  he 
sent  messengers  unto  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor, 
to  Pethor,  which  is  by  the  River,  to  the  land  of 
the  children  of  his  people,  to  call  him,  saying, 
Behold,  there  is  a  people  come  out  from  Egypt : 
behold,  they  cover  tne  face  of  the  earth,  aud 

6  they  abide  over  against  me :  come  now  there- 
fore, I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this  people  ;  for  they 
are  too  mighty  for  me  :  perad venture  I  shall  pre- 
vail, that  we  may  smite  them,  and  that  I  may 
drive  them  out  of  the  land  :  for  I  know  that  he 
whom  thou   blessest  is  blessed,  and  he  whom 

7  thou  cursest  is  cursed.  Aud  the  elders  of  Moab 
and  the  elders  of  Midian  departed  with  the  re- 
wards of  divination  in  their  hand ;  and  they 
came  unto  Balaam,  and  spake  unto  him  the 


branch  of  that  people,  who  otherwise  were 
mostly  inhabitants  of  Arabia  east  of  the  Elan- 
itic  gulf,  had  settled  in  the  field  of  Moab  (Gen. 
36  :  35)  and  were  probably  tributary  to  Sihon  and 
involved  in  the  recent  defeat  of  the  Amorites  by 
Israel  (Josh.  13  :  21).  After  their  defeat  along  with 
the  Amalekites  and  other  Arabs  by  Gideon  ( Judg. 
6,  seq.)  they  disappear  from  history.  The  timid 
and  superstitious  Balak  undertook  to  "fight" 
against  the  children  of  Israel  (cf.  Josh.  24  -.  9)  by 
the  supernatural  agency  of  curses  and  spells. 
He  evidently  regarded  those  people  as  enjoying 
a  peculiar  demonic  favor  which  by  means  of  a 
sufficiently  influential  curse  he  could  overcome 
so  as  to  prevail  against  them  by  force  of  arms 
(ver.  6).  The  importance  of  prophetic,  or  even 
ordinary  men's,  blessings  and  curses  was  very 
much  more  taken  account  of  in  ancient  times 

than  in  these  days    (see  on  Lev.  19  :  14  ;   cf.  Gen.  9  :  25- 

27 ;  27  :  4, 33, 37,  etc. )  ;  and  a  belief  in  the  validity 
of  Balaam's  utterances,  and  the  consequent  im- 
portance of  their  being  kept  favorable  to  Israel, 
was  no  doubt  entertained  by  the  narrator  of 
these  chapters,  and  by  the  Deuteronomist  (neut. 
23 :  4,  5),  though  not  on  any  such  superstitious 
grounds  as  Balak' s,  who  had  so  much  less  ele- 
vated an  idea  of  the  divine  nature  and  activity. 
Balak  sent  messengers  to  Balaam  the  son 
of  Beor  (ver.  5),  to  Pethor,  which  is  by  the 
river,  i.  e.,  the  Euphrates.  The  place  is 
called  in  Deut.  23  :  4  Pethor  of  Mesopotamia 
(Aram-Naharaim),  and  in  Balaam's  discourses 
(23:7)  "Aram"  and  "the  Mountains  of  the 
East."  It  has  been  identified  with  the  Pitru 
often  mentioned  in  the  cuneiform  inscriptions 
of  Shalmaneser  II.,  which  was  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  upper  Euphrates,  near  the  junction 
of  the  Sajur,  and  not  strictly  in  Mesopotamia, 
though  so  near  it  as  to  be  not  improperly  con- 
founded with  it  in  an  oratorical  description. 
Balaam's  abode  is  called  the  land  of  the 
children  of  his  people,  or  1?3J^_,  'ammo,  a 
form  which  some  regard  as  the  name  of  a  god 
and  render,  "children  of  Ammo."    It  is  said 


that  the  Aramaeans  of  Pethor  called  themselves 
"sons  of  Ammo."  Others  are  inclined  to  con- 
jecture that  'ammo  has  accidentally  become  sub- 
stituted for  'ammon,  in  accordance  with  the  sus- 
picion that  Balaam  was  a  Midianite  living  no 
farther  away  than  among  the  Ammonites.  Of 
the  personality  of  Balaam  little  is  known.  The 
form  of  the  name  Balaam  is  derived  from  the 
LXX,  the  Hebrew  pointing  being  Bileam.  The 
name  is  derived  from  J^y3,  hala' ,  to  devour, 
with  the  syllable  'am  which  is  probably  an  af- 
formative.  It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  the 
first  king  of  Edom,  Bela  the  son  of  Beor  (Gen. 
36  :  32)  ^  had  virtually  the  same  name  and  father's 
name.  Widespread  traditions  identify  Balaam 
with  Lokman  the  Arabian  fabulist,  the  ^Esop  of 
the  East,  whose  name  also  means  "devourer," 
and  who  was  said  by  Arabic  writers  to  be  the  son 
of  Ba'ura,  i.  e.,  Beor.  "  The  Hebrew  book  of 
Henoch  states  that  Balaam  was  called  in  Arabic 
Loknim,  probably  a  misreading  for  Lokman." 
Balaam  is  usually  mentioned  without  any  desig- 
nation of  his  office,  though  in  one  place  (2  Peter 
2  :  16)  he  is  called  a  prophet,  and  Josh.  13  :  22 
designates  him  as  a  soothsayer,  as  he  is  regarded 
by  Balak,  whose  messengers  approach  him  with 
the  "  rewards  of  divination  in  their  hand " 
(ver.  7).  He  evidently  had  a  great  reputation 
for  the  uniformity  with  which  his  pronounce- 
ments took  efiect  (ver.  6).  In  his  way  he  seems  to 
have  been  a  worshiper  of  the  true  God,  who  ac- 
cording to  the  narrator  repeatedly  communicates 
with  him,  and  whom  in  his  own  utterances  he 
almost  uniformly  names  Jehovah.  In  one  place 
he  uses  the  expression,  "Jehovah  my  God" 
(ver.  18).  That  he  was  a  bad  man  does  not  appear 
to  be  indicated  in  the  narrative,  at  least  until 
he  abandoned  himself  and  gave  the  devilish 
counsel  followed  in  chap.  25.  The  adverse  mor- 
alizings  in  later  parts  of  the  Bible  suggested  by 
his  history,  when  not  simply  censures  of  Moab 

for    hiring   him    (Oeut.  23  :  4,  5  ;   josh.  24  :  9  ;    Neh.  13  : 

2),  are  either  in  regard  to  his  venality  (2  Peter  2  .- 
15;  Jude  11 ),  or  to  his  advico  in  the  matter  of 


Ch.  XXII.] 


NUMBERS 


89 


8  And  he  said  unto  them,  Lodge  here  this  night, 
and  I  will  bring  you  word  again,  as  the  Lord  shall 
speak  unto  me :  and  the  princes  of  Moab  abode 
with  Balaam. 

9  And  God  came  unto  Balaam,  and  said,  What 
men  are  these  with  thee? 

10  And  Balaam  said  unto  God,  Balak  the  son  of 
Zippor,  king  of  Moab,  hath  sent  unto  me,  saying, 

11  Behold,  there  is  a  people  come  out  of  Egypt, 
which  covereth  the  face  of  the  earth :  come  now, 
curse  me  them ;  peradventure  I  shall  be  able  to 
overcome  them,  and  drive  them  out. 

12  And  God  said  unto  Balaam,  Thou  shalt  not  go 
with  them ;  thou  shalt  not  curse  the  people :  for 
they  are  blessed. 


8  words  of  Balak.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Lodge 
here  this  night,  and  I  will  bring  you  word  again, 
as  the  Lord  shall  speak  unto  me :  and  the  princes 

9  of  Moab  abode  with  Balaam.  And  GoQ  came 
unto  Balaam,  and  said,  What  men  are  these  with 

10  thee?  And  Balaam  said  unto  God,  Balak  the 
son  of  Zippor,  king  of  :^i()ab,  hath  sent  unto  me, 

11  saying.  Behold,  the  people  that  is  come  out  of 
Egypt,  it  covereth  the  face  of  the  earth :  now, 
come  curse  me  them ;  peradventure  1  shall  be 
able  to  tight  against  them,  and  shall  drive  them 

12  out.  And  God  said  unto  Balaam,  Thou  shalt 
not  go  with  them ;  thou  shalt  not  curse  the  peo- 


Beth-peor  (Rev.  2:u),  while  in  one  place  his 
counsel  is  warmly  commended  as  important  to 
be  kept  in  mind  (Micah  6:5).  The  struggle  and 
the  crisis  in  his  character,  together  with  the 
question  of  his  inspiration  on  this  occasion,  will 
be  discussed  as  we  follow  the  story. 

In  his  message  to  Balaam  the  panic-stricken 
Moabite  king  is  most  vividly  impressed  with 
the  immense  number  of  the  Israelitish  host: 
they  are  a  people  come  out  of  Egypt — that  land 
which  is  almost  a  synonym  for  teeming  fecun- 
dity— and  they  cover  the  "eye  of  the  earth" 
(ver.  6).  The  men  sent  are  elders  of  Moab  and 
elders  of  Midian  (^er.  7),  and  their  errand  is 
ordered  like  a  common  official  visit  to  a  sooth- 
sayer, with  the  customary  "divinations "  (mean- 
ing divining  fees — -just  as  "  tidings"  means  re- 
ward for  tidings  in  2  Sam.  4 :  10) — in  their  hand. 

8-21.  With  this  section  we  begin  to  meet  the 
textual  traits  which  lead  critics  to  assign  the 
Balaam  story  to  its  distinct  source.  The  notice- 
able thing  is  that  in  ver.  8-21  the  narrator 
uniformly  employs  the  name  'Elohini,  or  God, 
when  there  is  occasion  to  speak  of  the  Deity, 
while  Balaam  as  uniformly  uses  the  name  Jeho- 
vah. On  the  other  hand,  in  ver.  22-35  the 
principal  divine  agency,  which  is  the  angel, 
appears  always  as  the  angel  of  Jehovah,  and 
it  is  Jehovah  who  opens  the  mouth  of  the  ass 
and  the  eyes  of  Balaam.  This  use  of  the  divine 
names,  with  some  other  mannerisms  of  diction, 
leads  the  critics  to  assign  ver.  8-21  to  E,  and 
ver.  22-35  to  J.  This  theory  of  diverse  sources, 
however,  simply  leads  us  into  a  cul  de  sac,  so 
far  as  any  explanation  of  the  peculiar  use  of 
the  divine  names  is  concerned  ;  and  to  me  there 
appears  a  deeper  congruity  in  this  remarkable 
distribution  of  the  names  Elohim  and  Jehovah 
which  the  mere  chance  welding  together  of 
diverse  traditions  cannot  account  for.  Elohim 
stands  for  the  simple,  massive  conception  of 
God  as  the  universal  creative  Energy  and  Infi- 
nite Norm  of  Truth  and  Eight — that  God  who 
does  not  come  to  exist  for  us  by  our  formulation 
of  his  idea,  but  whose  pressure  we  feel  through 


our  primary  moral  intuitions.  Jehovah  is  the 
same  God  revealed  and  given  an  intellectual 
content  which  may  become  the  basis  of  a  theol- 
ogy and  the  inspiring  motive  of  a  cult.  Aside 
from  all  finely  aimed  ethnical  and  etymological 
inquiries,  this  is  the  broad  residual  distinction 
between  the  two  names.  It  is  very  much  like 
the  distinction  between  so-called  natural  and 
revealed  religion.  Revealed  religion — religion 
which  comes  to  us  through  our  concepts — is  in- 
dispensable as  a  means  for  rendering  the  idea  of 
God  fruitful  and  saving  ;  but  our  concepts,  how- 
ever inspiring,  must  continually  come  back  to 
our  purest  natural  intuitions  for  ethical  correc- 
tion, lest  in  our  dogmatic  self-confidence  we  be- 
come blind  leaders  of  the  blind.  It  was  his  pri- 
mary intuition  of  right— what  Christ  calls  "the 
light  that  is  in  thee"  (Matt.  6  :  23) — that  per- 
suaded Balaam  that  Israel  was  a  blessed  people  ; 
it  was  the  Jehovah  whom  he  professed  and  of 
whom  he  made  his  ordered  inquiries  whom  he 
unconsciously  sought  to  manipulate  into  an 
ultimate  permission  to  earn  Balak's  reward,  and 
so  was  thrown  out  of  unity  witli  himself. 

The  kindof  divination  which  Balak  expected 
of  Balaam,  and  which  was  no  doubt  his  char- 
acteristic method,  will  give  us  an  idea  of  the 
mental  make-up  of  the  man,  which  is  the  psy- 
chological basis  on  which  we  must  build  our 
understanding  of  his  story  in  these  three  chap- 
ters. He  was  to  come  where  he  could  see  the 
object  with  whose  destiny  he  was  to  concern 
himself;  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  Balak  makes 
his  message  vivid  to  the  seeing  imagination  l)y 
describing  the  broad,  general  appearance  of  tlie 
Israelites  as  they  lay  in  their  camp  "covering 
the  eye  of  the  earth."  This  picture,  it  will  be 
observed,  impressed  itself  on  Balaam's  imagina- 
tion so  that  he  reproduced  it  in  his  conversa- 
tion with  God  (ver.  11),  and  the  more  description 
was  a  sufficient  basis  for  God's  communication 
to  Balaam's  inner  consciousness  that  the  Israel- 
ites were  a  blessed  people  (ver.  12).  Balaam's 
method  of  divination,  therefore,  is  seen  to  be 
that  of  rapport  through  suggestion.    With  a 


90 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXII. 


13  And  Balaam  rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  said 
unto  the  princes  of  Balali,  Get  you  into  your  land  : 
for  the  Lord  refuseth  to  give  me  leave  to  go  with 
you. 

14  And  the  princes  of  Moab  rose  up,  and  they 
went  unto  Balak,  and  said,  Balaam  refuseth  to 
come  with  us. 

15  And  Balak  sent  yet  again  princes,  more,  and 
more  lionourable  than  they. 

16  And  they  came  to  Balaam,  and  said  to  him. 
Thus  saith  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  Let  nothing,  I 
pray  thee,  hinder  thee  from  coming  unto  me  : 

17  For  I  will  promote  thee  unto  very  great  hon- 
our, and  I  will  do  whatsoever  thou  sayest  unto 
me:  con>e  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this 
people. 

18  And  Balaam  answered  and  said  unto  the 
servants  of  Balak,  If  Balak  would  give  me  his 
house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond 
the  word  of  the  Lord  my  God,  to  do  less  or  more. 


13  pie :  for  they  are  blessed.  And  Balaam  rose  up 
in  the  morning,  and  said  unto  the  princes  of 
Balak,  Get  you  into  your  land  :   for  the  Lord 

14  refuseth  to  give  me  leave  to  go  with  you.  And 
the  princes  of  Moab  rose  up,  and  they  went 
unto  Balak,  and  said,  Balaam  refuseth  to  come 

15  with  us.     And  Balak  sent  yet  again  princes, 

16  more,  and  more  honourable  than  they.  And 
they  came  to  Balaam,  and  said  to  him,  Thus 
saith  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  Let  nothing,  I 
pray  thee,  hinder  thee  from  coming  unto  me : 

17  for  I  will  promote  thee  unto  very  great  honour, 
and  whatsoever  thou  sayest  unto  me  I  will  do : 
come  therefore,  I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this  peo- 

18  pie.  And  Balaam  answered  and  said  unto  the 
servants  of  Balak,  If  Balak  would  give  me  his 
house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond 
the  word  of  the  Lord  my  God,  to  do  less  or  more. 


highly  imaginative  temperament  Balaam  w^as 
keenly  susceptible  to  influence  through  his 
vivid  inner  perceptions.  It  was  the  receptive 
temperament  such  as  characterizes  mediums, 
clairvoyants,  hypnotic  subjects,  and  all  who  can 
be  brought  under  the  power  of  an  alien  person- 
ality. It  is  largely  by  suggestion  that  such  per- 
sons are  wrought  upon.  In  glimpsing  the  fate 
of  persons  or  peoples  he  had  the  art  of  a  certain 
self-abandonment  or  surrender  which  made  him 
perfectly  passive  to  impressions;  and  in  that 
state  a  sight  of  the  object  would  so  operate  by- 
suggestion  as  to  awaken  a  premonition  of  its 
destiny.  In  his  emphatic  assurances  to  Balak 
that  his  movements  m;ust  be  as  Jehovah  per- 
mitted (ver.  13,  18),  he  implied  that  in  his  elevated 
state  in  which  he  was  practising  his  art  he  was 
likely  to  be  so  borne  along  by  the  suggestions  and 
impressions  of  the  occasion  as  to  be  practically 
beyond  his  own  control. 

Balak,  however,  thought  of  that  power  to 
speak  of  people  in  terms  of  destiny — which  he 
called  blessing  and  cursing — as  a  real  power  to 
influence  them  for  good  or  evil,  instead  of  a 
rapport  which  followed  rather  than  commanded 
their  fate.  He  therefore  wished  to  employ  Ba- 
laam's curse  as  a  malign  force.  So  shallow,  in- 
deed, Avere  his  conceptions  of  spiritual  things 
that  when  Balaam  told  him  the  first  time  that 
Jehovah  refused  to  give  him  leave  to  go  on  the 
errand  of  cursing,  he  took  it  that  he  had  not 
bidden  high  enough,  and  no  doubt  thought  of 
Balaam's  God  himself  as  procurable  for  any 
purpose  for  a  sufficiently  high  price  (ver.  i6,  17). 
This  grossly  sordid  and  venal  notion  Balaam 
is  very  prompt  to  correct  (ver.  is),  and  he  assures 
him  that  the  whole  business  is  a  matter  of  faith- 
fulness to  that  inner  reality  which  he  calls  "  the 
word  of  Jehovah  his  God,"  rather  than  of  his 
arbitrary  choice  as  a  wielder  of  occult  forces. 

The  contrast  of  these  two  men's  ideas  of  the 
real  nature  of  this  blessing  and  cursing  will 


help  us  to  form  an  opinion  of  Balaam's  relig- 
ion. The  consulting  king's  notion  of  the  deity 
who  presides  over  fate  was  that  of  a  venal,  ca- 
pricious being  who  could  be  won  to  either  side 
of  a  controversy  by  rewards,  or  cajoled  and 
compelled  by  incantations  and  sacrifices.  This 
was  essentially  a  heathenish  idea — an  idea 
which  is  the  very  contrast  and  denial  of  the 
true  approach  to  God.  On  the  contrary,  Ba- 
laam thinks  of  God  as  great  and  incorruptible 
and  unescapable — one  whose  will  is  not  to  be 
commanded  by  a  mortal,  but  ascertained  and 
submitted  to.  As  a  publisher  of  destiny,  there- 
fore, he  is  simply  in  God's  hands ;  he  must  pro- 
claim what  God  says.  In  his  passive  surrender 
to  impressions  he  is  simply  throwing  himself 
upon  the  great  tide  of  Jehovah's  world  designs, 
to  be  borne  irresistibly  whither  it  leads.  Now 
this,  however  much  it  may  lack  of  the  full- 
orbed  knowledge  of  God  which  is  revealed  in 
his  Son,  is  far  from  heathenish ;  it  is  a  right  con- 
ception of  God  as  far  as  it  goes.  It  is  at  least 
a  walking  humbly  before  him  as  the  mighty 
World-Power  whom  we  cannot  corrupt  or 
change.  Exactly  this  contrast  between  the  no- 
tion of  a  God  who  is  flattered  and  bought  over  by 
selfishly  fulsome  propitiations  and  a  God  who 
requires  only  right  and  merciful  and  humble 
conduct  is  brought  out  in  that  epitome  of  ra- 
tional religion  which  Micah  the  prophet  gives 
as  a  quotation  from  Balaam's  response  to  the 
superstitious  Moabite  king,  or  at  least  the  proph- 
et's reflection  directly  inspired  by  some  tradition 
of  Balaam's  sayings  otherwise  unknown  : 

"  Wherewith  shall  I  come  before  Jehovah, 
And  bow  myself  before  the  high  God  ? 
Shall  I  come  before  him  with  burnt-offerings. 
With  calves  of  a  year  old  ? 
Will  Jehovah  be  pleased  with  thousands  of 

rams? 
With  ten-thousands  of  rivers  of  oil  ? 


Ch.  XXII.] 


NUMBERS 


91 


19  Now  therefore,  I  pray  you,  tarry  ye  also  here 
this  night,  that  I  may  know  what  the  Lord  will  say 
unto  me  more. 

20  And  God  came  unto  Balaam  at  night,  and  said 


19  Now  therefore,  I  pray  you,  tarrv  ve  also  here  this 
niglit,  that  I  may  know  what  tlie  Lord  will  speak 

20  unto  me  more.    And  God  came  unto  Balaam  at 


Shall  I  give  my  first-born  for  my  transgression, 

Fruit  of  my  body  for  sin  of  my  soul  ? 

He  hath  showed  thee,  O  man,  what  is  good ; 

And  what  is  Jehovah  seeking  of  thee, 

But  to  do  justice  and  to  love  mercy. 

And  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God  ?  " 

(Micah   6  :  5-8.) 

It  is  not  particularly  strange  that  a  clear- 
sighted man,  even  though  not  of  the  chosen 
people,  should  hold  such  sane  and  rational 
views  of  God  and  duty — but  they  belong  to  one 
who  acknowledges  Jehovah  (see  ver.  is).  Here 
is  the  unbiased  sense  of  right  fructified  by  the 
concept  of  God  as  Jehovah,  the  "One  who  Is" 
— the  everlasting  Constant  Term — as  distin- 
guished from  one  whom  we  form  and  mold 
either  by  the  work  of  our  hands,  or  by  flatter- 
ies and  occult  compulsions.  Balaam  no  doubt 
worshiped  Jehovah  as  the  only  God  who  could 
satisfy  his  insight,  but  withal  in  a  liberal  and 
rationalistic  way,  and  not  with  that  idol-hating 
exclusiveness  which  alone  could  pass  for  ortho- 
doxy in  Judaism  (cf.  23  :  1,  29),  The  question  of 
his  character,  however,  does  not  turn  on  that  of 
the  God  whom  he  contemplated  and  feared  to 
resist,  but  on  the  prevalence  in  his  religion  of 
love  and  the  sincere  service  of  the  whole  heart. 

Balaam  invited  the  princely  messengei's  in  to 
lodge  for  the  night,  promising  to  consult  Jeho- 
vah regarding  their  request  and  bring  them 
word  in  the  morning  (ver.  8).  The  account  goes 
on  to  say  that  God  came  to  Balaam,  and  after 
asking  him  in  human  fashion  who  were  his 
visitors  and  receiving  Balak's  message  in  due 
form,  straitly  prohibited  his  going  on  any  errand 
of  cursing  against  Israel,  for  they  were  a  blessed 
or  divinely  favored  people  (ver.  10-12),  In  what 
form  God  "  came  "  to  Balaam  we  have  no  infor- 
mation. That  it  occurred  at  night  does  not 
prove  that  God  communicated  with  Balaam  by 
a  dream,  and  from  the  circumstances  of  the  case 
this  seems  unlikely,  as  it  was  evidently  in  re- 
sponse to  some  w'ay  which  Balaam  had  of  con- 
sulting Jehovah  that  he  obtained  the  communi- 
cation, and  people  do  not  generally  possess  the 
poAver  of  inducing  dreams  at  will.  It  seems  to 
me  a  rational  conjecture  that  the  consultation 
with  Jehovah  w'as  through  no  traumatic  or 
hypnotic  evoking  of  the  "subliminal  conscious- 
ness," but  simply  by  intense  meditation  in  a 
thoroughly  self-emptied  and  alertly  receptive 
spirit.  Thiswaswhathe  called  "inquiring."  As 


Balak's  vivid  picture  of  wide-spreading  Israel 
passed  before  his  mind,  and  all  the  circum- 
stances of  that  wonderful  people's  divinely 
guided  migration  from  Egypt  arose  in  order 
before  his  deeply  seeing  imagination,  there 
swept  in  upon  him  such  an  overwhelming  sense 
of  a  World-Power  and  Eternal  Purpo.se,  with 
whom  this  people  was  at  one,  as  brought  the 
vast  and  vague  but  irresistible  conviction  that 
Israel  was  blessed.  "  God  came  to  him." 
Balaam  was  admitted  to  a  perception  of  the 
mighty  sweep  of  that  cosmical  Energy  which 
can  be  designated  by  the  name  of  no  tribal  or 
ecclesiastical  deity  but  by  the  universally  divine 
term  Elohim.  The  forms  of  question  and  an- 
swer with  which  the  colloquy  with  God  is 
clothed  are,  no  doubt,  due  to  the  vivid  imagi- 
nation of  the  seer  himself,  whose  temperament 
as  a  dweller  in  the  border-land  between  fantasy 
and  common  reality  naturally  endowed  all  his 
deeper  mental  operations  with  concrete  forms. 

In  the  morning  Balaam  sent  away  the  mes- 
sengers Avith  the  answer  that  Jehovah  refused 
him  permission  to  go  with  them  (ver.  13).  When 
this  answer  reached  Balak,  that  monarch  in  his 
shallow  worldliness  suppo.sed  that  it  meant  only 
an  avaricious  soothsayer's  haggling  for  a  higher 
reward.  With  a  larger  and  more  honorable  dele- 
gation he  renewed  his  request,  promising  liim 
the  highest  honors  and  whatever  emolument  he 
might  name,  but  urging  him  on  no  account  to 
fail  to  come  to  him  (ver.  15-17).  Balaam  answered 
that  the  obstacle  was  not  the  insufticiency  of  the 
reward  ;  however  magnificent  that  might  be,  he 
could  not  go  beyond  the  word  of  Jehovali  in  the 
case  (ver.  18).  But  as  tlic  message  hade  him  let 
nothing  hinder  him  from  going  to  Balak,  the 
thought  would  suggest  itself  that  even  the  possi- 
bility of  another  oracle  being  given  him  than 
the  one  Balak  desired  need  not  prevent  Iiim 
from  doing  so  much  as  make  the  journey.  With 
this  new  phase  of  the  problem  in  mind,  Balaam 
again  delayed  the  messengers  for  the  niglit, 
while  he  reopened  the  question  with  Jehovali  in 
the  hope  of  an  additional  c<)mnuinicati<in  from 
him  (ver.  19).  And  sure  enough,  the  message 
comes  which  he  desires.  Even  in  that  audience 
of  his  inquiring,  but  not  entirely  f^elf-effacing, 
soul  with  God  he  finds  a  way  to  reconcile  it  with 
his  conscience  to  make  the  journey.  There  is 
almost  a  quibble  in  the  verbal  permission  into 
which  his  imagination  shapes  the  grateful  easing 


92 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXII. 


unto  him,  If  the  men  come  to  call  thee,  rise  up,  and 
go  with  them  ;  but  yet  the  word  which  I  shall  say 
unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do. 

21  And  Balaam  rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  sad- 
dled his  ass,  and  went  with  the  princes  of  Moab. 

2'2  And  God 's  anger  was  kindled  because  he  went : 
and  the  angel  of  tlie  Lord  stood  in  the  way  for  an 
adversary  against  him.  Now  he  was  riding  upon 
his  ass,  and  his  two  servants  were  with  him. 

23  And  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stand- 
ing in  the  way,  and  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand  : 
and  the  ass  turned  aside  out  of  the  way,  and  went 
into  the  field :  and  Balaam  smote  the  ass,  to  turn 
her  into  the  way. 

24  But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  in  a  path  of 
the  vineyards,  a  wall  being  on  this  side,  and  a  wall 
on  that  side. 

25  And  when  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
she  thrust  herself  unto  the  wall,  and  crushed  Ba- 
laam's foot  against  the  wall :  and  he  smote  her 
again. 

2t>  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  further,  and 
stood  in  a  narrow  place,  where  was  no  way  to  turn 
either  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left. 

27  And  when  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
she  fell  down  under  Balaam  :  and  Balaam's  anger 
was  kindled,  and  he  smote  the  ass  with  a  staff. 

28  And  tlie  Lord  opened  the  mouth  of  the  ass, 
and  she  said  unto  Balaam,  What  have  I  done  unto 
thee,  that  thou  hast  smitten  me  these  three  times? 

29  And  Balaam  said  unto  the  ass.  Because  thou 
hast  mocked  me :  I  would  there  were  a  sword  in 
mine  hand,  for  now  would  I  kill  thee. 


of  his  conscience  in  the  direction  of  his  desires : 
If  the  men  be  come  to  call  thee — if  the 

matter  puts  itself  in  the  light  of  an  invitation  to 
go,  whatever  the  outcome — rise  up,  and  go 
with  them  ;  but  yet  the  word  w^hich  I 
shall  say  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do 

(ver.  20).  The  divinc  communications  with  the 
human  soul  are  never  altogether  objective.  There 
is  something  in  the  soul  itself  w^hich  helps  to 
shape  them,  and  it  is  possible  by  our  very  attitude 
to  extort  a  permission  which  does  not  enlist  the 
conscience,  but  only  stills  its  voice.  Balaam  felt 
permitted  to  go,  but  his  soul  was  not  at  peace. 

22-35.  This  section,  in  which  the  speaking 
ass  is  introduced,  seems  to  have  emanated  from 
an  author  who  "  has  different  conceptions  before 
his  mind  from  those  of  the  preceding  and  follow- 
ing contexts"  (Bacon).  Balaam  starts  "with 
the  princes  of  Moab"  on  a  journey  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  locating  of  Balaam's  abode  as  at 
Pethor  (ver.  5;  23 : 7 :  Deut.  23  :  4),  must  havc  been 
a  caravan  journey  of  over  three  hundred  miles 
across  the  Syrian  waste.  For  such  a  journey 
one  would  expect  the  use  of  camels,  but  Balaam 
sets  out  on  an  ass  with  two  servants  (ver.  22) ^ 
and  presently  we  find  him  in  a  hollow  way  be- 
tween vineyards  (ver.  24) ,  Such  conditions  would 
indicate  a  much  shorter  journey  and  in  a  thickly 
settled  and  cultivated  country.  Some  would 
find  in  this  a  derivation  from  a  Balaam  story 
not  exactly  in  harmony  with  the  rest  of  these 
three  chapters  and  corresponding  more  nearly 
with  31  :  8, 16 ;  Josh.  13  :  22,  according  to  which 


night,  and  said  unto  him,  If  the  men  be  come 
to  call  thee,  rise  up,  go  with  them  ;  but  only  the 
word  which  I  speak  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou 

21  do.  And  Balaam  rose  up  in  the  morning,  and 
saddled  his  ass,  and  went  with  the  princes  of 

22  Moab.  And  God's  anger  was  kindled  because 
he  went :  and  the  angel  of  the  Lord  placed  him- 
self in  the  way  for  an  adversary  against  him. 
Now  he  was  riding  upon  his  ass,  and  his  two 

23  servants  were  with  him.  And  the  ass  saw  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,  with  his 
sword  drawn  in  his  hand  :  and  the  ass  turned 
aside  out  of  the  way,  and  went  into  the  field : 
and  Balaam  smote  the  ass,  to  turn  her  into  the 

24  way.  Then  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  in  a 
hollow  way  between  the  vineyards,  a  fence  be- 

25  ing  on  this  side,  and  a  fence  on  that  side.  And 
the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  and  she  thrust 
herself  unto  the  wall,  and  crushed  Balaam's 
foot  against  the  wall :  and  he  smote  her  again. 

26  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  further,  and 
stood  in  a  narrow  place,  where  was  no  wav  to 

27  turn  either  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  And 
the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  and  she  lay 
down  under  Balaam  :  and  Balaam's  anger  was 
kindled,  and   he  smote  the  ass  with  his  staff. 

28  And  the  Lord  opened  the  mouth  of  the  ass,  and 
she  said  unto  Balaam,  What  have  I  done  unto 
thee,   that   thou  bust  smitten    me  these  three 

29  times?  And  Balaam  said  unto  the  ass,  Because 
thou  hast  mocked  me :  I  would  there  were  a 
sword  in  mine  hand,  for  now  I  had  killed  thee. 


Balaam,  after  "returning  to  his  place"  (24 :  26), 
is  found  in  intimate  counsel  with  the  Midianites 
and  is  finally  involved  in  their  overthrow.  It 
causes  critics  to  raise  the  question  whether,  ac- 
cording to  one  stratum  of  tradition,  Balaam  was 
not  a  Jehovah-prophet  living  among  the  Am- 
monites {cf.  "sons  of  Ammo,"  or  "Ammon," 
ver.  5),  or  the  Midianites,  from  whose  country 
Moses  apparently  brought  the  elements  of  the 
Jehovah  worship  (Exod.  3  .-  1,  seq. ;  18  :  11). 

God's  anger  was  kindled  because  he  was  going 
(ver.  22).  The  use  of  the  participle  "  going"  in- 
dicates that  it  was  the  being  actually  under  way 
which  half  brought  Balaam  to  himself  and  made 
him  feel  uncomfortable  and  guilty.  This  is  the 
only  time  the  name  D'Tl'vi^,  Elohivi,  God,  is  used 
in  this  section.  It  indicates  that  this  anger  of  God, 
of  which  Balaam  was  conscious,  w^as  not  mani- 
fested as  a  definite  conviction  of  Jehovah's  dis- 
pleasure, which  would  amount  to  a  contradiction 
of  the  permission  given  in  ver.  20,  but  a  larger, 
vaguer  unquiet,  resulting  from  his  finding  him- 
self out  of  harmony  with  the  sum  of  things. 
UnknoAvn  to  Balaam,  the  angel  of  Jehovah  had 
placed  himself  in  the  way  asa  "  satan  "  or  adver- 
sary. It  was  not  until  the  ass,  more  sanely  aware 
of  the  obstacle  than  the  prophet,  had  turned  out 
of  the  way  twice  (ver.  23,  25)  in  spite  of  beating 
and  had  finally  lain  down  under  her  rider  (ver. 
27),  and  after  the  third  beating  had  opened  her 
mouth  in  vocal  remonstrance  (ver.  28-30),  that 
Balaam  became  aware  of  the  angel's  presence. 
As  he   prostrates  himself  in  terror,  the  angel 


Ch.  XXIL] 


NUMBERS 


93 


30  And  the  ass  said  unto  Balaam,  Am  not  I  thine 
ass,  upon  which  thou  hast  ridden  ever  since  I  tvas 
thine  unto  this  d:iy  ?  was  I  ever  wont  to  do  so  unto 
thee?    And  he  said,  Nay. 

31  Then  the  Lord  opei'ied  the  eyes  of  Balaam,  and 
he  saw  the  anjjel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way, 
and  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand  :  and  he  bowed 
down  his  head,  and  fell  flat  on  his  face. 

32  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  said  unto  him. 
Wherefore  hast  thou  smitten  thine  ass  these  three 
times?  behold,  I  went  out  to  withstand  thee,  be- 
cause thy  way  is  perverse  before  me  : 

33  And  the  ass  saw  me,  and  turned  from  me 
these  three  times:  unless  she  had  turned  from  me, 
surely  now  also  I  had  slain  thee,  and  saved  her 
alive. 

34  And  Balaam  said  unto  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
I  have  sinned  ;  for  I  knew  not  that  thou  stoodest 
in  the  way  against  me:  now  therefore,  if  it  dis- 
please thee,  I  will  get  me  back  again. 


30  And  the  ass  said  unto  Balaam,  Am  not  I  thine 
ass,  upon  which  thou  hast  ridden  all  thy  life 
long  unto  this  day?  was  I  ever  wont  to  do  so 

31  unto  thee?  And  lie  said.  Nay.  Then  the  Lord 
opened  the  eyes  of  Balaam,  and  he  saw  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,  with  his 
sword  drawn  in  his  hand  :   and  he  bowed  his 

32  head,  and  fell  on  his  face.  And  the  angel  of 
the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Wherefore  hast  thou 
smitten  thine  a.ss  these  tliree  times?  behold,  I 
am  come  forth  for  an  adversary,  because  thy 

33  way  is  perverse  before  me  :  and  the  ass  saw  me, 
and  turned  aside  before  me  tlie.'-e  three  times: 
unless  she  had  turned  aside  from  me,  surely 
now  1  had  even  slain  thee,  and  saved  her  alive. 

34  And  Balaam  said  unto  the  angel  of  tlie  Lord,  I 
have  sinned  ;  for  I  knew  not  that  tlum  stoodest 
in  the  way  against  me :  now  therefore,  if  it  dia- 


explains  that  he  has  placed  himself  in  the  way 
as  an  obstruction  because  "  the  way  leads  head- 
long against  me,"  i.  e.,  Jehovah  (ver.  32).  It 
seems  as  if  the  angel  had  come  as  the  special 
representative  of  Jehovah  in  order  to  teach 
Balaam  that  the  course  which  went  against  his 
primary  intuition  of  right,  or  Elohim-conscious- 
ness,  was  also  opposed  to  his  dogmatically  ac- 
quired and  more  sophisticated  conception  of 
God  as  Jehovah.  The  angel's  reproof  of  Balaam 
takes  pains  to  make  prominent  his  treatment  of 
his  beast  (ver.  32)  and  to  point  out  that  the  ani- 
mal has  proved  more  discerning  than  he  and 
has  really  saved  his  life  (ver.  33).  It  is  Balaam's 
saner  self  which  it  is  necessary  to  awaken,  and 
this  can  be  more  normally  reached  if  the  dis- 
tracting terror  at  his  supernatural  adversary 
(ver.  31)  is  mitigated  by  his  humiliation  on  ac- 
count of  his  own  undignified  and  unjust  loss  of 
temper.  Balaam  acknowledges  that  he  has 
sinned  in  beating  his  beast  so  cruelly,  and  pleads 
in  extenuation  that  he  did  not  know  that  the 
animal  had  such  good  reason  for  "mocking" 
or  "vexing"  him  (see  ver.  29),  Now  that  he  sees 
that  his  going  to  Moab  is  displeasing  to  the 
angel,  or  rather  to  Jehovah  whom  he  represents, 
Balaam  offers  to  return  home  (ver.  34)^  but  is 
directed  to  go  on  with  the  men  under  the  same 
rigid  restriction  as  was  placed  on  him  before 

(ver.  35  ;   cf.  ver.  20). 

How  much  of  tliis  incident  of  the  speaking 
animal  is  a  transcript  of  the  vivid  operations 
of  Balaam's  perturbed  mind,  and  how  much  is 
actual  objective  fact,  it  is  impossible  to  deter- 
mine. In  any  case  it  was  real  to  Balaam,  and 
he  is  the  only  one  for  whose  benefit  the  incident 
occurred  and  probably  the  only  one  from  whom 
the  report  of  the  occurrence  could  reach  tlie 
world.  The  only  other  instance  of  a  speaking 
animal  in  the  Bible  is  that  of  the  serpent  in 
Eden  (Gen.  3  :  i,  ai.).  In  this  account  of  Balaam 
it  is  said  that  Jehovah  opened  the  moutli  of 


the  ass  (ver.  28),  but  it  is  very  questionable 
whether  the  servants,  if  they  were  present, 
either  heard  the  beast  talk  or  saw  the  angel. 
It  is  to  be  noticed,  as  rendering  the  theory  of 
mere  invention  improbable,  that  the  subjects 
comprehended  by  the  beast  in  its  utterances 
were  not  such  as  transcend  the  mental  powers  of 
the  brute  creation.  There  is  no  mention  of  the 
angel,  nor  any  apprehension  of  the  spiritual 
entanglements  in  which  its  master  is  involved, 
but  only  a  remonstrance  and  a  reminder  of  past 
faithfulness.  On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  said 
that  the  language  of  the  animal  expresses  no 
more,  when  reversed  to  fit  Balaam's  point  of 
view,  than  the  prophet's  own  better  nature 
might  have  suggested  to  him,  namely,  perplexity 
that  a  beast  which  he  had  owned  for  a  long 
period,  and  which  had  always  ol)eyed  him, 
should  thus  exceptionally  turn  out  of  the  way 
and  need  punishment  three  times.  This  feeling, 
polarized  in  Balaam's  mind  by  his  disturbed 
sense  of  divine  displeasure,  might  easily  shape 
itself  in  his  imaginative  and  concrete  mental 
processes  into  a  vocal  remonstrance  proceeding 
from  the  beast  which  he  was  maltreating. 

It  was  a  perturbed  mind  that  rendered  Balaam 
susceptible  to  the  experiences  (if  this  unlucky 
journey.  That  it  was  the  overmastering  eager- 
ness of  mere  avarice  which  made  him  blind  to 
the  presence  of  the  angel  is  not  altogether  ap- 
parent, lie  was  not  a  coar.se  enough  man  for 
that.  A  passage  in  the  Second  Epistle  of  Peter 
(2  :  15,  16),  which,  with  its  briefer  parallel  in 
Jude  11,  points  a  moral  from  this  part  of  the 
Balaam  story,  while  assigning  avarice  as  the 
main  incentive  which  brought  Balaam  on  this 
journey,  nevertheless  .speaks  of  "leaving  the 
straight  road  and  getting  astray"  (KOTaAeiTrofTe? 
evOdav  65ov  ciT\avri9i}<Tai') ^  aiul  of  the  dumb  bcast, 
as  a  rebuke  of  his  "  missing  the  law  "  (  napavo- 
fiias)  forbidding  the  "  infatuation  "  {napa(f>poi'iai') 
of  the  prophet,  in  such  a  way  as  to  point  to  a 


94 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


35  And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  said  unto  Balaam, 
Go  with  the  men  :  but  only  the  word  that  I  shall 
speak  unto  thee,  that  thou  >slialt  speak.  So  Balaam 
went  with  the  princes  of  Balak. 

36  And  when  Balak  heard  that  Balaam  was  come, 
he  went  out  to  meet  him  unto  a  city  of  Moab,  which 
is  in  the  border  of  Arnon,  which  in  in  the  utmost 
coast. 

37  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Did  I  not  ear- 
nestly send  unto  thee  to  call  thee?  wherefore 
earnest  thou  not  unto  me?  am  I  not  able  indeed  to 
promote  thee  to  honour? 

o8  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Lo,  I  am  come 
unto  thee  :  have  I  now  any  power  at  all  to  say  any 
thing?  the  word  that  God  putteth  in  my  mouth, 
that  shall  I  speak. 

39  And  Balaam  went  with  Balak,  and  they  came 
unto  Kirjath-huzoth. 

40  And  Balak  offered  oxen  and  sheep,  and  sent 
to  Balaam,  and  to  the  princes  that  were  with  him. 

41  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  morrow,  that  Balak 
took  Balaam,  and  brought  him  up  into  the  high 
places  of  Baal,  that  thence  he  might  see  the  utmost 
part  of  the  people. 


35  please  thee,  I  will  get  me  back  again.  And  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  said  unto  Balaam,  Go  with  the 
men  :  but  only  the  word  that  I  shall  speak  unto 
thee,  that  thou  shalt  speak.     So  Balaam  went 

36  with  the  princes  of  Balak.  And  when  Balak 
heard  that  Balaam  was  come,  he  went  out  to 
meet  him  unto  the  City  of  Moab,  which  is  on 
the  border  of  Arnon,  which  is  in  the  utmost 

37  part  of  the  border.  And  Balak  said  unto  Ba- 
laam, Did  I  not  earnestly  send  unto  thee  to  call 
thee?  wherefore  camest  thou  not  unto  me?  am 
I  not  able  indeed  to  promote  thee  to  honour? 

38  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Lo,  I  am  come 
unto  thee :  have  I  now  any  power  at  all  to  speak 
any  thing?  the  word  that  God  putteth  in   my 

39  mouth,  that  shall  I  speak.  And  Balaam  went 
with  Balak,  and  they  came  unto  Kiriathhuzoth. 

40  And  Balak  sacrificed  oxen  and  sheep,  and  sent 
to  Balaam,  and  to  the  princes  that  were  with 

41  him.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning,  that 
Balak  took  Balaam,  and  brought  him  up  into 
the  high  places  of  Baal,  and  he  saw  from  thence 
the  utmost  part  of  the  people. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


1  AND  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here 
seven  altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven  oxen  and 
seven  rams. 

2  And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  spoken  ;  and  Ba- 
lak and  Balaam  offered  on  every  altar  a  bullock 
and  a  ram. 

3  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Stand  by  thy 
burnt  offering,  and  I  will  go:  peradventure  the 


1  AND  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here 
seven  altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven  bullocks 

2  and  seven  rams.    And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had 
spoken  :  and  Balak  and  Balaam  offered  on  every 

3  altar  a  bullock  and  a  ram.    And  Balaam  said 
unto  Balak,  Stand  by  tliy  burnt  offering,  and  I 


deeper  maladjustment  than  a  mere  earthly  ab- 
sorption in  gain,  in  short,  to  indicate  that  the 
moralizer  had  in  mind  an  unquiet  somewhat 
like  that  massive  sense  of  divine  displeasure 
with  Avhich  the  account  figures  the  prophet  as 
starting  out.  This  made  him  testy,  and  this 
made  him  hear  rebukes  for  his  unwonted  iras- 
cibility from  the  very  mouth  of  the  ass,  and 
finally  opened  his  eyes  to  that  spiritual  presence 
which  presented  in  bodily  form  the  opposing 
attitude  of  Jehovah  himself. 

36-41.  Balak,  on  receiving  intelligence  that 
Balaam  had  come,  went  out  to  meet  him  at  his 
frontier  near  the  Arnon  (cf.  21  :  13),  at  a  city  of 
Moab  (ver.  36)^  rather,  'Irof  3foab,  probably  the 
same  as  'Ar  (cf.  21 :  15, 28 ;  isa.  15 : 1).  He  chided  the 
tardy  prophet  for  his  delay,  which  to  his  vanity 
seemed  to  be  a  reflection  on  his  purchasing 
power  (ver.  37)j  and  received  the  rather  chilling 
assurance  that  with  all  his  magnificent  promises 
he  had  only  commanded  Balaam's  presence, 
not  his  mantic  power,  Avhich  he  still  reserved 
subject  to  the  unascertained  dictation  of  God 
(ver.  38).  From  the  frontier  city  Balaam  was 
conducted  to  fllVn  r\^")p,  Qiriath-huzoth,  or 
City  of  streets  (ver.  39),  not  improbably  Balak's 
official  residence,  as  Huzoth  is  apparently  men- 
tioned as  such  on  an  Egyptian  papyrus  in  the 
British  Museum.  A  peace-offering  banquet 
welcomed  Balaam  and  the  princes  with  him 
(ver.  40) ;  and  the  next  morning  he  was  brought 
to  the  high  places,  or  bamoth,  of  Baal, 


which  is  no  doubt  the  Bamoth,  or  Bamoth-baal 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  stopping-places  of  the 
children  of  Israel  (21  ;  19,  20),  and  one  of  the 
places  that  fell  to  the  tribe  of  Reuben  (Josh.  13 :  17). 
From  this  place  which,  though  north  of  the 
Arnon,  still  perhaps  remained  in  possession  of 
Moab,  Balaam  could  see  one  extremity  of  the 
Israelitish  camp  (ver.  41). 


Chap.  23.  Balaam's  first  two  dis- 
courses. 1-10.  The  first  direction  which  Ba- 
laam gave  to  the  king  of  Moab  was  that  he  should 
build  seven  altars  in  that  place,  and  offer  a 
bullock  and  a  ram  on  each  altar.  All  important 
undertakings  in  ancient  times  were  preceded  by 
sacrifices  intended  to  gain  the  good-will  of  the 
gods.  The  number  seven  is  a  frequently  occur- 
ring sacred  number.  It  was  sometimes  em- 
ployed even  by  Gentiles  in  religious  ceremonies 
connected  with  the  quest  for  the  inner  truth  of 
things.  When  ^Eneas  consulted  the  Sybil  he 
offered  seven  oxen  and  seven  sheep  (virgii,  jeu., 
VI.,  38,  seq.).  Balak  did  according  to  the  seer's 
directions  (ver.  2)^  and  the  two  together  made 
the  prescribed  sacrifice  on  each  altar.  In  the 
LXX  this  act  of  offering  is  asserted  only  of 
Balak,  just  as  in  ver.  30,  thus  corresponding 
more  closely  to  the  expression  "  thy  burnt  offer- 
ing" (ver.  3)  and  "  his  burnt  offering  "  (ver.  6) ; 
but  Balaam  claims  the  act  of  sacrificing  as  his 
own  in  ver.  4.  Balak  is  directed  to  take  his 
station  by  his  burnt  offering  (ver.  3),  perhaps 


Ch.  XXIIL] 


NUMBERS 


95 


Lord  will  come  to  meet  me :  and  whatsoever  he 
sheweth  me  I  will  tell  thee.  And  he  went  to  an 
high  place. 

4  And  God  met  Balaam :  and  he  said  unto  him, 
I  have  prepared  seven  altars,  and  I  have  offered 
upon  every  altar  a  bullock  and  a  ram. 

5  And  the  Lord  put  a  word  in  Balaam's  mouth, 
and  said.  Return  unto  Balak,  and  thus  thou  shalt 
speak. 

6  And  he  returned  unto  him,  and,  lo,  he  stood 
by  his  burnt  sacrilice,  he,  and  all  the  princes  of 
Moab. 

7  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said,  Balak 
the  king  of  Moab  hath  brought  me  from  Aram,  out 
of  the  mountains  of  the  east,  saying,  Come,  curse 
me  Jacob,  and  come,  defy  Israel. 

8  How  shall  I  curse,  whom  God  hath  not  cursed? 
or  how  shall  I  defy,  whovi,  the  Lord  hath  not  defied  ? 

9  For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him,  and 
from  the  hills  I  behold  him :  lo,  the  people  shall 
dwell  alone,  and  shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the 
nations. 


will  go;   peradventure  the  Lord  will  come  to 
meet  me  :  and  whatsoever  he  sheweth  me  I  will 

4  tell  thee.  And  he  went  to  a  bare  height.  And 
God  met  Balaam  :  and  he  said  unto  him,  I  have 
prepared  thee  seven  altars,  and  I  have  offered 

5  up  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar.  And  the 
Lord  put  a  word  in  Balaam's  mouth,  and  said, 
Return  unto  Balak,  and  thus  thou  shalt  speak. 

6  And  he  returned  unto  him,  and,  lo,  he  stood  by 
his  burnt  offering,  he,  and  ail  the  princes  ol 

7  Moab.    And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said, 

From  Aram  hath  Balak  brought  me. 

The  king  of  Moab  from  the  mountains  of  the 

East: 
Come,  curse  me  Jacob, 
And  come,  defy  Israel. 

8  How  shall  I  curse,  whom  God  hath  not  cursed? 
And  how  shall  I  defy,  whom  the  Lord  hath  not 

defied  ? 

9  For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  I  see  him, 
And  from  the  hills  I  behold  him : 

Lo,  it  is  a  people  that  dwell  alone, 

And  shall  not  be  reckoned  among  the  nations. 


for  the  purpose  of  guarding  it  as  Abraham  did 
on  another  occasion  (Gen.  15  :  11),  while  the  seer 
himself  goes  to  see  what  Jehovah  will  show  him. 
He  is  evidently  seeking  the  fateful  knowledge 
in  omens  or  signs  in  nature  or  the  sky  (cf.  24  : 1, 
which  should  read  omens  instead  of  enchant- 
ments), and  for  this  purpose  he  goes  to  a  bare 
height  (see  r.  v.).  It  was  the  custom  of  Roman 
augurs  also  to  carry  on  their  observation  of 
natural  omens  from  exposed  high  places  (cicero, 
De  Off.,  III.,  16).  While  Balaam's  ordinary  method 
of  pronouncing  destiny  was  by  throwing  him- 
self into  a  passive  or  trance-like  state  and 
gathering  impressions  through  suggestion  (see 
on  22 : 8-21)  J  yet  he  was  no  doubt  versed  in  all  the 
fanciful  lore  of  omens  and  signs  derived  from 
the  appearances  of  nature.  This  device  of  con- 
sulting omens  was  perhaps  adopted  on  the 
present  occasion  as  more  controllable  and  plastic 
than  his  ordinary  method  of  trance  or  sur- 
render to  impressions.  In  this  latter  state  he 
knew  that  his  utterances  would  be  beyond  his 
control  (see  22  :  18)  ;  and  the  fact  that  he  aban- 
doned the  device  of  seeking  omens  when  he 
found  they  were  of  no  use  (2*  :  1)  seems  to  in- 
dicate that  he  had  recourse  at  first  to  omens  in- 
stead of  trance  in  the  hope  that,  by  keeping  in 
his  active  mental  state,  he  might  steer  his 
auguries  into  a  curse  instead  of  a  blessing. 
Despite  his  premonition  that  Israel  was  blessed 
(22  :  12) J  Balaam  was  making  strenuous  efforts 
to  figure  out  a  destiny  for  Israel  in  accordance 
with  Balak's  wishes.  But  once  more,  as  on 
that  former  occasion  when  he  had  fairly  set  out 
(22  :  22,  and  note),  Balaam  was  brought  back  to  his 
primary  intuition  of  the  unyieldingness  of  the 
truth  of  things.  God,  Elohim,  met  him, 
Balaam  (ver.  4),  and  as  he  reflected  before  the 
infinite  Presence  that  he  had  builded  the  seven 
altars,  i.  e.,  the  sacred  number  customary  when 


parties  ally  themselves  with  inviolate  truth 
(see  Gen.  21 :  28-31),  and  had  ofl'cred  a  bullock  and 
a  ram  on  every  altar,  the  already  disclosed  truth 
(see  22  :  12)  of  God's  purposc  to  blcss  Israel  came 
upon  him  with  a  commanding  insistence  which 
he  dared  not  resist  (ver.  5).  With  the  conviction 
that  his  message  was  made  up  from  Jehovah  he 
went  back  to  Balak  standing  with  his  princes 
by  his  burnt-oifering  (ver.  e),  and  broke  into  the 
rhythmic  utterance  which  is  the  measured  rap- 
ture of  all  impassioned  and  lofty  thought  (ver.  7). 
That  discourse  is  interesting  as  a  highly  sub- 
jective expression  of  the  mind  or  conscious- 
ness of  the  seer  as  swayed  by  his  surroundings. 
He  first  recalls  the  position  in  wliich  he  finds 
himself,  namely,  engaged,  at  Balak's  invita- 
tion, in  the  eflbrt  to  curse  and  defy  Israel  (ver.  7), 
i.  e.,  to  feel  horror  or  repugnance  at  his  fate,  and 
to  excite  the  frenzy  of  defiant  rage  at  his  pres- 
ence. Then  he  expres.ses  his  feeling  of  the  divine 
resistance  which  such  efibrt  encounters  (ver.  s). 

'*  How  shall  I  curse  whom  'El  hath  not  cursed  ? 
And  how  shall  I  menace  whom  Jehovah  hath 
not  menaced?  " 

There  is  no  material,  no  stirring,  for  a  feeling 
of  horror  in  regard  to  a  people  .<<o  palpably 
well-fated  in  the  sight  of  God  as  this  people. 
Going  on  and  a.scribing  his  impression  frankly 
to  the  marvelous  view  obtained  from  the  top  of 
the  rocks,  the  prophet  speaks  as  one  e-specially 
struck  with  tlie  separatencss,  the  sublime 
uniqueness,  of  that  wonderful  people  : 

"  Behold  !  a  people  dwelleth  alone  ; 
And    among    the    nations  doth    not    reckon 

itself!"    (ver  9.) 

Now  comes  the  prediction  of  the  future  ;  and 
it  is  simply  a  vision  of  the  characteristic  Oriental 
blessing  of  immense  populousness : 


96 


NUMBERB 


[Ch.  XXIII. 


10  Who  can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob,  and  the 
number  of  the  fuurlh  part  of  Israel?  Let  me  die 
the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  last  end  be 
like  liis! 

11  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  What  hast  thou 
done  unto  me?  I  took  thee  to  curse  mine  enemies, 
and,  behold,  thou  hast  blessed  them  altogether. 

12  And  he  answered  and  said,  Must  I  not  take 
heed  to  speak  that  which  the  Lord  hath  put  in  my 
mouth  ? 

13  And  Balak  said  unto  him.  Come,  I  pray  thee, 
with  me  unto  another  place,  from  whence  thou 
mayest  see  them :  thou  shalt  see  but  the  utmost 
part  of  them,  and  shalt  not  see  them  all :  and  curse 
me  tliem  fi-om  thence. 

14  And  he  brought  him  into  the  field  of  Zophim, 
to  the  top  of  Pisgah,  and  built  seven  altars,  and 
offered  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar. 


10  Who  can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob, 
Or  number  the  fourth  part  of  Israel? 
Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous, 
And  let  my  last  end  be  like  his ! 

11  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  What  hast  thou 
done  unto  me  ?  I  took  thee  to  curse  mine  ene- 
mies, and,  behold,  thou  hast  blessed  them  alto- 

12  gether.  And  he  answered  and  said,  Must  I  not 
take  heed  to  speak  that  which  the  Lord  putteth 

13  in  my  mouth  ?  And  Balak  said  unto  him.  Come, 
I  pray  thee,  with  me  unto  another  place,  from 
whence  thou  mayest  see  them  ;  thou  shalt  see 
but  the  utmost  part  of  them,  and  shalt  not  see 

14  them  all :  and  curse  me  them  from  thence.  And 
he  took  him  into  the  field  of  Zophim,  to  the  top 
of  Pisgah,  and  built  seven  altars,  and  offered  up 


"  Who  hath  counted  the  dust  of  Jacob, 
And  the  number — the  fourth  part  of  Israel  ?  " 

Finally,  when  it  comes  to  pronouncing  des- 
tiny, or  throwing  the  whole  wishing  self  into  a 
fate-laden  utterance — which  is  what  cursing  or 
blessing  consists  in — Balaam  can  conceive  no 
personal  fate  so  fervently  to  be  longed  for  as 
just  the  glorious  outcome  which  he  perceives 
reserved  for  Israel's  history : 

"  Let  my  soul  die  the  death  of  the  upright ! 
And  be  my  last  end  like  his!  "  (ver.  lo.) 

The  word  translated  righteous  (D"'.1K^''  y'sha- 
rim,  ver.  10),  is  perhaps  a  play  on  the  poetic 
name  of  Israel,  j^B^^  Y^shurun  (oeut.  32:15 ; 
isa.  44  :  2,  etc.).  To  the  ancient  Oriental  mind, 
which  had  not  risen  to  the  idea  of  immortality 
in  an  unseen  state  as  anything  desirable,  the 
symbol  of  all  glorious  or  covetable  destiny  was 
a  happy  death.  Beyond  the  gateway  of  death, 
in  conceiving  of  a  person's  future,  the  early 
mind  did  not  travel.  Hence  to  wish  for  a  death, 
even  for  one's  own  soul,  like  that  of  the  right- 
eous was  to  wish  for  a  similar  glorious  outcome 
or  destiny  conceived  of  in  a  generalized  and 
massive  way,  the  individual  post-moriem  exist- 
ence being  left  to  the  unrevealed  and  uninter- 
rogated  mind  of  God. 

11-24.  When  Balak  reproached  Baalam  at 
his  first  arrival  it  was  for  his  reluctance  to  come 
to  him,  which  seemed  to  imply  contempt  of  his 
power  to  reward  (22 :  37).  Now  he  undertakes  to 
assert  the  right  of  an  employer,  as  if  he  owned 
Balaam's  services:  I  took  thee  to  curse  mine 
enemies,  and,  behold,  thou  hast  blessed 
them  altogether  (ver.  11).  He  finds,  however, 
that  Balaam  is  in  the  grasp  of  a  higher  power 
(ver.  12).  Come,  I  pray  thee,  with  me 
unto  another  place  (ver.  13).  "Balak,  in 
true  heathen  fashion,  attributes  the  unfavorable 
result  to  external  circumstances,  and  at  the 
same  time  does  not  desist  from  the  attempt,  but 


proposes  to  help  matters  by  a  change  of  station- 
point"  (Dillmann).  Thou  shalt  see  but 
the  utmost  part  of  them,  and  shalt  not 
see  them  all.  Considerable  difiiculty  has 
been  felt  with  this  passage  as  it  reads,  on  ac- 
count of  the  apparent  identity  of  the  conditions 
proposed  with  those  in  which  Balaam  is  already 
placed  (see  22  :  41).  Ingeuious  attempts  have 
been  made  so  to  translate  as  to  make  the  pas- 
sage in  22  :  41  describe  a  wide-open  view,  or 
else  to  make  the  passage  here,  rendered  in  the 
present  tense,  refer  to  what  Balaam  now  sees  at 
Bamoth-Baal,  as  a  contrast  to  what  Balak  pro- 
poses to  show  him  from  the  next  station.  It 
seems  more  natural  to  translate  this  passage  as 
it  is  in  the  Authorized  and  Revised  versions, 
and  to  suppose  that,  though  from  the  place 
where  the  first  altars  were  built  only  a  restricted 
view  of  the  people  was  obtainable  (22  :  41)^  yet 
when  Balaam  went  to  his  "  bare  height"  (23 :  3) 
he  gained  a  fuller  survey.  Certainly  ver.  9, 
10  indicate  that  Balaam  had  a  very  impressive 
view  of  the  Israelitish  camp.  Balak  took  him 
to  the  field  of  Zophim,  or  "  Gazers,"  at  the 
top,  head,  of  Pisgah  (ver.  u).  It  was  some- 
where along  this  Nebo  platform  that  Moses  was 
finally  brought  for  his  dying  view  of  the  prom- 
ised land  (Deut.  34  :  1).  "Nebo  and  the  neigh- 
boring hills  were  also  the  stations  and  altars  of 
Balaam.  Balak  brought  him  from  the  Anion, 
and  first  they  took  up  their  position  at  Bamoth- 
Baal,  which  must  have  lain  back  from  the  edge 
of  the  hills,  for  Balaam  could  see  from  it  only 
the  farther  edge  of  Israel's  camp  in  the  plain 
below  (22  :  41).  The  seer's  second  station  was  in 
the  field  of  Zophim,  or  the  Gazers,  which  is 
given  as  on  'the  head  of  Pisgah'  (23  :  14)^ 
where  seven  altars  were  built.  The  third  sta- 
tion was  the  top,  head,  of  Peor,  that  look- 
eth  tOAvard,  down  on,  Jeshimon  (ver.  28) — 
the  same  index  as  is  given  for  Nebo  itself,  yet 
probably  a  point  still  nearer  to  the  plain  of 
Shittim.    The  places  at  which  Balaam  took  his 


Ch.  XXIII.] 


NUMBERS 


97 


15  And  he  said  unto  Balak,  Stand  here  by  the 
burnt  offering,  while  I  meet  the  Lord  yonder. 

16  And  tlie  Lord  met  Balaam,  and  put  a  word  in 
his  mouth,  and  said,  Go  again  unto  Balak,  and  say 
thus. 

17  And  when  he  came  to  him,  behold,  he  stood 
by  his  burnt  offering,  and  the  princes  of  Moab  with 
him.  And  Balak  said  unto  him,  What  hath  the 
Lord  spoken? 

18  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said,  Rise  up, 
Balak,  and  hear;  hearken  unto  me,  thou  son  of 
Zippor : 

19  God  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should  lie ;  neither 
the  son  of  man,  that  he  should  repent :  hath  he 
said,  and  shall  he  not  do  it  f  or  hath  he  spoken, 
and  shall  he  not  make  it  good? 

20  Behold,  I  have  received  commandment  to  bless  : 
and  he  hath  blessed  ;  and  I  cannot  reverse  it. 

21  He  hath  not  beheld  iniquity  in  Jacob,  neither 
hath  he  seen  perverseness  in  Israel :  the  Lord  his 
God  is  with  him,  and  the  shout  of  a  king  is  among 
them. 


15  a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar.     And  he 
said  unto  Balak,  Stand  here  Ijv  tliv  burnt  offer- 
IB  iug.  while  I  meet  the  Lurd  yonder.    And  the  Lord 
met  Balaam,  and  put  a  word  in  his  mouth,  and 
said,  Return  unto  Bahik,  and  thus  slialt  thou 

17  speak.  And  he  came  to  him,  and,  lo,  he  stood 
by  his  burnt  offering,  and  the  princes  of  Moab 
with  him.   And  Bulak  said  unto  him,  What  hath 

18  the  Lord  spoken?  And  he  took  up  his  parable, 
and  said, 

Rise  up,  Balak,  and  hear  ; 

Hearken  unto  me,  thou  son  of  Zijjpor: 

19  God  is  not  a  man,  that  he  should  lie  ; 
Neither  the  sou  of  man,  that  lie  should 

repent : 
Hath  he  said,  and  shall  he  not  do  it? 
Or  hath  he  spoken,  and  shall  he  not  make  it 

good? 

20  Behold,  I  have  received  comviandment  to  bless  : 
And  he  hath  blessed,  and  I  cannot  reverse  it. 

21  He  hath  not  beheld  iniquity  in  Jacob, 
Neither  hath  he  seen  perverseness  in  Israel : 
The  Lord  his  God  is  with  him, 

And  the  shout  of  a  king  is  among  them. 


stand  and'  looked  for  omens  were  all  probably 
sanctuaries.  The  range  is  covered  with  the 
names  of  deity — Baal,  Nebo,  Peor.  Nor  could 
there  be  more  suitable  platforms  for  altars,  nor 
more  open  posts  for  observing  the  stars  or  the 
passage  of  clouds,  or  the  flighj^of  birds  across 
the  great  hollow  of  the  "Arabah.  The  field  of 
Gazers  was  rightly  named.  To-day  the  hills 
have  many  ancient  altars  and  circles  of  stones 
upon  them"  (Smith). 

The  same  preparation  for  the  solemn  act  was 
made  as  before,  and  Balaam  w^ent  by  himself  to 
"be  met"  (ver.  is).  While  on  the  first  occasion 
it  was  said  that  "  Elohim  met  Balaam,"  here  it 
is  "Jehovah"  (ver.  i6),  and  this  is  not  without 
its  correspondence  with  the  specific  character 
of  this  second  discourse  which  is  founded  more 
particularly  on  the  known  or  revealed  being  of 
God  as  above  human  Aveakness  and  as  in  alli- 
ance with  Israel,  rather  than  on  the  general 
appearance  and  obvious  thriftiness  of  the  up- 
right nation.  On  his  return  the  seer  again  finds 
Balak  with  his  princes  eagerly  awaiting  the 
result  of  the  second  trial.  I  give  my  own  trans- 
lation of  the  discourse : 

"Rise,  Balak,  and  hear; 
Give  ear  unto  me,  son  of  Zippor : 
Not  a  man  is  'El,  that  he  should  lie, 
And  the  son  of  Adam,  that  he  should  repent. 
Hath  he  spoken,  and  will  he  not  do? 
And  given  the  word,  and  will  he  not  con- 
firm it? 
Behold,  I  received  command  to  bless; 
And  he  hath  blessed,  and  I  may  not  reverse  it. 
He  hath  not  discerned  folly  in  Jacob ; 
And  hath  not  seen  wrong  in  Israel. 
Jehovah  his  God  is  with  him  ; 
And  the  shout  of  a  king  is  in  him. 


'El  is  bringing  them  from  Egypt; — 

His  are  like  the  movements  of  a  wild  ox. 

For  there  is  no  omen  in  Jacob, 

And  no  divination  in  Israel : 

According  to  the  time  it  is  spoken  unto  Jacob, 

And  unto  Israel,  what  'El  hatli  wrought. 

Behold  a  people — as  a  lion  he  rises ! 

And  as  a  strong  lion  he  lifts  himself  up ! 

He  shall  not  lie  down  till  he  has  devoured 

prey. 
And  drunk  the  blood  of  the  slain  !  " 

This  discourse  differs  from  the  first  in  being 
more  definitely  laudatory,  and  more  positively 
assertive  of  the  divine  dealings  with  Israel.  The 
seer  seems  to  forget  all  his  limitations  and  rises 
to  a  sublime  height  of  prophetic  inspiration. 
In  the  former  case  he  could  not  curse  because 
God  had  not  cursed ;  here  God,  who  does  not  lie 
nor  repent  like  finite  beings  (ver.  i9),  has  pos- 
itively blessed,  and  that  irreversible  act  of  God 
Balaam  accepts  as  a  command  to  him  to  bless 
(ver.  20).  Following  out  more  definitely  the  idea 
contained  in  the  epithet  "  righteous  "  in  the  first 
discourse  (ver.  lo)^  Balaam  asserts  God's  redeem- 
ing blindness  to  fault  in  Israel,  and  his  alliance 
as  Jehovah  with  him,  which  inipart,s  a  royal 
quality  to  the  nation  (ver.  21).  The  expression, 
"The  shout  of  a  king  is  in  him,"  is  a  specimen 
of  the  magnificent  Hebrew  imagery  whii-h 
ought  not  to  be  disguised  in  translation.  It  in- 
terprets itself.  If  the  psalmist  felt,  with  regard 
to  Jehovah  in  the  more  impressive  phenomena 
of  nature,  that  "in  his  temple  everything  saith. 
Glory  !  "  (ps.  29  :  9),  the  admiring  sccr  could  feel 
in  this  place  that  everything  in  Israel  saith, 
Royalty!  This  translation  of  a  nation  from 
Egypt  is  an  act  of  God,  and  it  awakens  in  Ba- 
laam's mind  the  image  of  the  genius  of  the 


98 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


22  God  brought  them  out  of  Egypt ;  he  hath  as  it 
were  the  strengtli  of  an  unicorn. 

23  Surely  there  is  no  enchantment  against  Jacob, 
neither  is  there  any  divination  against  Israel :  ac- 
cording to  this  time  it  shall  be  said  of  Jacob  and  of 
Israel,  What  hath  God  wrought ! 

24  Behold,  the  people  shall  rise  up  as  a  great  lion, 
and  lift  up  himself  as  a  young  lion :  he  shall  not 
lie  down  until  he  eat  of  the  prey,  and  drink  the 
blood  of  the  slain. 

25  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Neither  curse 
them  at  all,  nor  bless  them  at  all. 

26  But  Balaam  answered  and  said  unto  Balak, 
Told  not  I  thee,  saying.  All  that  the  Lord  speaketh, 
that  I  must  do? 

27  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Come,  I  pray 
thee,  I  will  bring  thee  unto  another  place;  per- 
adventure  it  will  please  God  that  thou  mayest 
curse  me  them  from  thence. 

28  And  Balak  brought  Balaam  unto  the  top  of 
Peor,  that  looketh  toward  Jeshimon. 

29  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Build  me  here 
seven  altars,  and  prepare  me  here  seven  bullocks 
and  seven  rams. 

30  And  Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  said,  and  offered 
a  bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar. 


22  God  bringeth  them  forth  out  of  Egypt ; 

He  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  the  wild-ox. 

23  Surely  there  is  no  enchantment  with  Jacob, 
Neither  is  there  any  divination  with  Israel : 
Now  shall  it  be  said  of  Jacob  and  of  Israel, 
What  hath  God  wrought ! 

24  Behold,  the  people  riseth  up  as  a  lioness. 
And  as  a  lion  doth  he  lift  himself  up : 

He  shall  not  lie  down  until  he  eat  of  the  prey. 
And  drink  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

25  And  Balak  said    unto  Balaam,   Neither  curse 

26  them  at  all,  nor  bless  them  at  all.  But  Balaam 
answered  and  said  unto  Balak,  Told  not  I 
thee,  saying,  All  that  the  Lord  speaketh,  that  I 

27  must  do?  And  Balak  said  unto  Balaam,  Come 
now,  I  will  take  thee  unto  another  place ;  per- 
adventure  it  will  please  God  that  thou  mayest 

28  curse  me  them  from  thence.  And  Balak  took 
Balaam  unto  the  top  of  Peor,  that  looketh  down 

29  upon  the  desert.  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak, 
Build  me  here  seven  altars,  and  prepare  me 

30  here  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams.  And  Ba- 
lak did  as  Balaam  had  said,  and  offered  up  a 
bullock  and  a  ram  on  every  altar. 


nation  as  like  a  mighty  Dl<'^,  r'em,  or  wild  ox 
(ver.  22).  Tliis  couplet  is  repeated  in  the  third 
discourse  (24 :  s).  And  now  as  Balaam  contem- 
plates Israel  under  the  fostering  care  of  Jehovah, 
he  feels  with  self-disgust  how  utterly  out  of  touch 
is  all  Israel's  history,  and  all  his  inspired  con- 
ception of  the  divine  process  of  events,  with  the 
petty  auguries  and  divinations  of  the  heathen 
(ver.  23),  Accordiug  to  this  time  it  shall  be 
said  of  Jacob  and  of  Israel,  What  hath 
God  Avrought !  ( See  translation  in  the  Notes. ) 
This  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  objective  definition  of 
prophecy— that  function  which  is  the  distinction 
of  spiritual  Israel,  and  whicli  so  gloriously  con- 
trasts with  the  omen-seeking  of  those  who  have 
no  revelation — as  a  sort  of  sympathy  or  commun- 
ion with  Jehovah  which  keeps  the  run  of  the 
movements  of  his  Spirit,  and  so  comprehends 
the  significance  of  God's  working  as  it  emerges 
out  of  the  time.i  We  are  reminded  of  the  Sav- 
iour's saying  to  those  who  had  grown  out  of 
alignment  with  God's  Spirit :  "  Ye  know  how  to 
discern  the  face  of  the  heaven ;  but  ye  cannot 
discern  the  signs  of  the  times"  (Matt,  le  :  3). 
Prophecy  is  essentially  the  perception  of  the 
divine  philosophy  of  history  while  history  is 
in  the  making.  It  is  the  discerning,  at  the  time, 
of  what  God  hath  wrought.  This  contrast  be- 
tween Israel  discovering  the  divine  Avill  through 
^prophets,  of  whom  Moses  was  the  type,  and  the 
surrounding  nations  who  use  auguries  and  prac- 
tise divination  is  strongly  asserted  and  enjoined 
in  Deut.  18  :  14,  seq,  Balaam  ends  his  discourse 
by  comparing  the  people  of  Israel  to  a  strong 
lion  which  has  become  aroused,  arguing  from 
the  very  disposition  of  the  king  of  beasts  whom 

1  "The  Jew,"  says  Renan,  "thanks  to  a  kind  of 
marvelously  apt  to  see  the  great  lines  of  the 


he  resembles  that  there  must  be  bloodshed  and 
conquest  before  he  settles  down  (ver.  24). 

25-30.  As  Balak  perceives  that  the  current 
of  vaticination  is  setting  so  strongly  in  the 
direction  of  blessing,  he  is  anxious  to  stop  the 
flow  of  it  at  this  point.  If  he  cannot  have  the 
curse,  he  will  at  least  avoid  having  the  actual 
blessing  pronounced  (ver.  25).  Balaam  has  given 
an  impassioned  description  of  the  theocratic 
felicity  and  the  prowess  of  Israel,  but  the  actual 
words  of  blessing,  so  much  dreaded  by  the 
superstitious  Moabite  king,  have  not  yet  been 
uttered  and  do  not  appear  until  the  end  of  the 
third  discourse  (24 :  9).  But  Balaam  is  in  the 
current;  he  must  go  on  and  say  all  that  Jeho- 
vah has  given  him  to  say  (ver.  2f»).  Finding  it 
inevitable  that  the  drama  must  now  be  played 
through,  Balak  will  at  least  try  the  experiment 
of  another  change  of  place.  But  he  has  now 
acquired  some  respect  for  God,  if  not  a  compre- 
hension of  his  character.  Instead  of  ignoring 
the  divine  will  and  saying,  as  on  the  former 
occasion,  "Curse  me  them  from  thence"  (ver. 
13)  J  he  more  modestly  entertains  the  thought  as 
a  possibility,  "Perhaps  it  will  be  right  in  the 
eyes  of  God  that  thou  mayst  curse  me  them  from 
thence"  (ver.  27).  On  the  place  to  which  he 
takes  Balaam,  see  the  quotation  from  Professor 
Smith  in  the  preceding  section.  The  customary 
preparation  of  altars  and  sacrifices  is  prescribed 
and  furnished  and  Balaam  makes  ready  for  his 
third  discourse. 


Chap.  24.    The  prophecies  of  Balaam. 
1-9.  Balaam  now  desists  from  the  attempt  to 
find  a  divine  oracle  in  omens.    The  word  trans- 
prophetic  sense  which  renders  the  Semite  at  times 
future,  has  made  history  enter  iiico  religion." 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


NUMBERS 


99 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


1  AND  wlien  Balaam  saw  that  it  pleased  the 
Lord  to  bless  Israel,  he  went  not,  as  at  other  times, 
to  seek  for  enchantments,  but.  he  set  his  face 
toward  the  wilderness. 

2  And  Balaam  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  he  saw  Is- 
rael abiding  in  liis  tents  according  to  their  tribes; 
and  the  spirit  of  God  came  upon  him, 

o  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said,  Balaam 
the  son  of  Beor  hath  said,  and  the  mau  whose  eyes 
are  open  hath  said  : 


1  AND  when  Balaam  saw  that  it  pleased  the 
Lord  to  bless  Israel,  he  went  not,  as  at  the  other 
times,  to  meet  with  enchantmeutii,  but  he  set 

2  his  face  toward  the  wilderness.  And  Balaam 
lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  he  saw  Israel  dwelling 
according  to  their  tribes ;  and  the  spirit  of  God 

3  came  upon  him.  And  he  took  up  his  parable, 
and  said, 

Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  saith, 

And  the  man  whose  eye  was  closed  saith  : 


lated  enchantments  (ver.  i)  probably  means 
omens,  or  auguries,  such  as  could  be  gathered 
from  the  fanciful  and  traditional  interpretation 
of  the  appearances  of  nature.  At  each  attempt 
Balaam  has  been  "met,"  or  "encountered,"  by 
the  divine  Presence  and  Idea  (see  23 :  4,  le),  who 
has  "put  a  word  into  his  mouth,"  owing  no 
part  of  its  suggestion  to  the  natural  signs  which 
Balaam  hoped  to  make  available.  Omens  and 
divination  are  found  to  be  altogether  out  of 
place  in  Israel's  history  (23  :  23).  Balaam  is 
fully  convinced  of  the  divine  determination  to 
bless  Israel,  and  accordingly  he  reverts  to  his 
more  natural  method  of  clairvoyant  suggestion, 
on  whose  strong  tide  he  had  thought  it  not 
expedient  to  launch  so  long  as  there  was  hope 
of  controlling  his  vaticinations  in  Balak's  favor. 
Frankly,  and  with  all  artifice  of  restricted  view 
and  cherishing  of  antagonistic  interests  laid 
aside,  he  sets  his  face  toward  the  Avilder- 
ness,  where  Israel  lies  encamped,  and  so  sur- 
renders himself  to  the  full  impression  of  the 
scene,  Balaam  is  now  himself,  and  as  he  sees 
Israel  dwelling  according  to  their  tribes; 
the  spirit  of  God  (ver.  2)^  comes  upon  him  so 
that  he  speaks  l)y  true  prophetic  inspiration. 
While  on  the  previous  occasions  Jehovah  has 
met  him  and,  as  it  were,  dragged  his  reluctant 
mental  operations  into  eulogy,  here  he  is  borne 
along  by  "the  spirit  of  God."  It  is  not  until 
one  is  his  own  real,  unaffected  self  that  "the 
spirit  of  God  "  can  fully  control  him.  Balaam's 
third  mashal  may  be  thus  translated : 

"  Utterance  of  Balaam  son  of  Beor, 
And  utterance  of  the  man  of  the  closed  eye ; 
Utterance  of  the  hearer  of  the  words  of  'El, 
AVho  beholdeth  visions  of  Shaddai, 
Sinking,  and  having  the  eyes  uncovered : 
How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob ! 
Thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel ! 
Like  valleys  they  are  spread  out ; 
Like  gardens  by  the  river ; 
Like  aloes  Jehovah  hath  planted ; 
Like  cedars  by  the  water. 
He  runneth  water  from  both  his  buckets ; 
And  his  seed  is  in  abundance  of  water ; 


And  higher  than  Agag  is  his  king ; 

And  exalted  is  his  kingdom. 

'El  is  bringing  him  from  Egypt; 

His  are  like  the  movements  of  a  wild  ox. 

He  devoureth  nations — his  adversaries; 

And  their  bones  he  gnaweth  bare  ; 

And  with  his  arrows  he  pierceth  right  through. 

He  couched,  he  lay  down  like  a  lion, 

And  like  a  sti-ong  lion — who  shall  rouse  him  ? 

Blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee  ! 

And  cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee !  " 

Ver.  3  and  4  are  a  sort  of  introduction  or  title 
in  which  the  kind  of  discourse  which  follows  is 
specified,  and  Balaam's  psychical  habit  and  his 
proplietic  seizure  are  described  at  some  length. 
His  discourse  is  called  a  DJ<J,  nhim,  utterance, 
or  oracle,  a  term  most  frequently  coupled  Mith 
Jehovah  and  meaning  a  divine  word  or  disclo- 
sure, as  in  Ps.  110  :  1,  "  Utterance  of  Jehovah  to 
my  lord,"  It  is  almost  always  translated  by  the 
verb  "  saith,"  or  some  tense  of  it,  in  our  version. 
When  it  is  coupled  with  the  name  of  the  human 
author,  it  means  that  person's  deepest,  most 
essential  deliverance,  very  much  like  our  word 
message  used  in  tlie  religious  sense,  as  for  in- 
stance, David's  last  words,  "  Utterance  of  David 
son  of  Jesse,  and  utterance  of  the  man  who  was 
exalted  on  high  "  (2  Sam.  23 : 1),  or  the  "  words  of 
Agur  son  of  Jakeh,  the  burden  ;  utterance  of 
the  plain  man"  (Prov.  30  :  1).  In  one  place  the 
profound  impression  produced  by  the  wicked 
man's  transgression  on  the  sensitive  heart  is 
said  to  amount  to  a  n'um,  or  utterance  (I's.  sc  :  1). 
The  term  came  to  be  used  by  the  prophets  as  a 
sort  of  mark  of  the  prophetic  style  and  preten- 
sion, the  word  utterance  being  as  technical  a 
term  for  the  prophet's  message  as  our  word 
sermon  is  for  the  discourse  of  a  preacher.  Thus 
Jeremiah  says,  "  Behold  I  am  against  the 
prophets,  is  the  utterance  of  Jehovah,  who 
'take'  their  tongues  and  mutter  'utterance'  " 
(jcr.  23:  31).  Balaam  is,  therefore,  introtlucing 
his  discourse  with  the  technical  name  for  a 
prophet's  disclosure.  He  designates  himself  as 
"  the  man  of  the  closed  eye."  This  I  take  to  be 
a  name  for  his  clairvoyant  power  and  talent, 


100 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


4  He  hath  said,  which  heard  the  words  of  God, 
wliicli  saw  tlie  vision  of  tlie  Almif^hty,  falling  into 
a  trance,  but  having  his  eyes  open  : 

5  How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob,  and  thy 
tabernacles,  O  Israel ! 

6  As  the  valleys  are  they  spread  forth,  as  gardens 
by  the  river's  side,  as  the  trees  of  lign  aloes  which 
the  Lord  hath  planted,  and  as  cedar  trees  beside 
the  waters. 

7  He  shall  pour  the  water  out  of  his  buckets,  and 
his  seed  shall  be  in  many  waters,  and  his  king  shall 
be  higher  than  Agag,  and  his  kingdom  shall  be 
exalted. 

8  God  brought  him  forth  out  of  Egypt ;  he  hath 
as  it  were  the  strength  of  an  unicorn  :  he  shall  eat 
up  the  nations  his  enemies,  and  shall  break  their 
bones,  and  pierce  thcin  through  with  his  arrows. 

9  He  couched,  he  lay  down  as  a  lion,  and  as  a 
great  lion:  who  shall  stir  him  up?    Blessed  is  he 


4  He  saith,  which  heareth  the  words  of  God, 
"Which  seeth  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
Falling  down,  and  having  his  eyes  open : 

5  How  goodly  are  thj'  tents,  O  Jacob, 
Thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel ! 

6  As  valleys  are  they  spread  forth, 
As  gardens  by  the  river  side. 

As  lign-aloes  which  the  Lord  hath  planted, 
As  cedar  trees  beside  the  waters. 

7  Water  shall  flow  from  his  buckets. 
And  his  seed  shall  be  in  many  waters. 
And  his  king  shall  be  higher  than  Agag, 
And  his  kingdom  shall  be  exalted. 

8  God  bringeth  him  forth  out  of  Egypt; 

He  hath  as  it  were  the  strength  of  the  wild-ox: 
He  shall  eat  up  the  nations  his  adversaries. 
And  shall  break  their  bones  in  pieces. 
And  smite  them  through  with  his  arrows, 

9  He  crouched,  he  lay  down  as  a  lion, 

And  as  a  lioness  ;  who  shall  rouse  him  up? 


which  is  now  resumed  con  amove  and  given  full 
play  after  the  overruled  attempt  to  declare  fate 
without  it.  The  closure  of  the  outward  eye  was 
the  accompaniment  of  the  unrestricted  inner 
vision,  and  this  latter  is  described  in  the  last 
line  of  ver.  4,  which  in  the  Authorized  version 
reads,  failing  into  a  trance,  but  having 
Uis  eyes  open.  The  words  "  into  a  trance  " 
are  inserted  by  the  translators  and  are  omitted 
in  the  Revised  version.  This  omission  was,  no 
doubt,  because  the  revisers  regarded  the  words 
as  an  explanation  rather  than  a  rendering,  be- 
longing to  the  commentator  rather  than  to  the 
translator.  The  "falling"  mentioned  in  the 
Hebrew  is  not  the  reverent  prostration  of  the 
person,  astounded  at  the  majesty  of  the  vision 
(cf.  Ezek.  1  :  28 ;  3  :  23,  etc.)^  nor  a  sinking  down  like 
Saul's  (1  Sam.  19  :  24),  which  was  simply  the  ex- 
haustion and  rigor  of  the  spent  dervish,  but  a 
surrender  to  the  passive  state,  with  its  attendant 
relaxation  of  the  muscles,  which  was  the  con- 
dition of  the  seer's  clairvoyant  vision.  While 
in  this  state,  he  "  hears  the  words  of  God  "  and 
"sees  the  vision  of  the  Almighty,"  to  which 
traits  of  the  prophetic  vision  the  last  discourse 
adds,  "  Knows  the  knowledge  of  the  Most 
High"  (ver.  16).  It  is  a  genuine  admission  to 
prophetic  knowledge  which,  as  I  have  else- 
where observed  (see  on  11  :  23-35),  is  essentially 
seeing,  or  direct  perception  of  divine  things, 
vouchsafed  to  Balaam  while  in  his  passive  state. 
The  "trance,"  or  "falling,"  is  the  individual 
trait  belonging  to  Balaam's  highly  subjective 
temperament  and  is  not  necessarily  an  accom- 
paniment of  prophecy  in  general.  The  imparta- 
tion  of  the  divine  knowledge  through  vision  or 
dream,  however,  appears  to  have  been  the  com- 
moner condition  of  prophecy  in  the  older  time, 
and  this  contrasted  the  ordinary  prophets  with 
prophets  of  the  type  of  Moses  (see  12  :  6, 7,  and  note), 
who  was  equal  to  the  act  of  spiritual  or  divine 
perception  in  his  normal  state  and  who  antici- 


pated prophecy  of  this  saner  type  as  the  charac- 
teristic and  permanent  prophetism  in  Israel 
(Deut.  18  :  15).  It  was  this  highest  type — this 
sane  and  normally  wakeful  prophecy,  the  theo- 
cratic interpretation  of  the  times — which  Ba- 
laam contemplated  in  his  second  discourse  (see 
23 :  23)  as  the  extremest  contrast  to  the  omens 
and  divinations  of  the  heathen  and  which  char- 
acterized more  especially  the  teachings  of  the 
greater  prophets,  whose  discourses  are  left  to  us 
in  writing,  like  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah. 

In  the  "  utterance  "  or  discourse  which  fol- 
lows, Balaam  first  indulges  his  imagination  in 
the  rapt  picture  of  the  people,  arranged  accord- 
ing to  their  tribal  divisions  lilce  garden  plots 

along  a  river  (ver.  6,  of,  -npacnai  npacTiai  ;  Mark  6  :  40) 

and  it  suggests  the  thought  of  marvelous  and 
glorious  vegetative  fecundity.  In  ver.  7  the 
figure  advances  from  that  of  the  irrigator 
carrying  water  in  buckets  suspended  from  the 
shoulder,    "He  runneth  water  from  both  his 

buckets "  to  that  of  the  abundantly  watered 

seedlings  from  the  parent  tree,  "And  his  seed 

is  in  abundance  of  water "  and   finally  to 

plain  language  in  which  the  exaltation  of  his 
kingdom  is  compared  to  that  of  the  most  for- 
midable of  the  ancient  Arab  tribes,  Amalek. 
Agag,  with  w^hom  the  king  of  Israel  is  com- 
pared, was  the  king  of  the  Amelekites  whom 
Saul  conquered  (i  sam.  15),  and  the  name  may 
perhaps  have  been  a  title  belonging  to  the 
kings  of  Amalek  in  general,  like  Pliaraoh  as 
applied  to  the  kings  of  Egypt.  In  the  remain- 
der of  the  discourse,  after  repeating  the  figure 
of  the  wild  ox  from  23  :  22,  Balaam's  imagi- 
nation revels  mostly  in  the  comparison  of  Israel 
to  a  ferocious  beast  actually  devouring  in  war, 
or  sleeping  with  his  boundless  possibilities  in 
abeyance  and  perilous  to  be  roused  (ver.  9). 
This  last  figure,  that  of  the  sleeping  lion,  is 
adapted  from,  or  appropriated  by  the  author 
of  Jacob's  dying  prophecy  (see  Gen.  49  :  9).    The 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


NUMBERS 


101 


that  blesseth  thee,  and  cursed  is  he  that  curseth 
thee. 

10  And  Balak's  anger  was  kindled  against  Ba- 
laam, and  he  smote  his  hands  together  :  and  Balak 
said  unto  Balaam,  I  called  thee  to  curse  mine  ene- 
mies, and,  behold,  thou  hast  altogether  blessed  them 
these  three  times. 

11  Therefore  now  flee  thou  to  thy  place  :  I  thought 
to  promote  thee  unto  great  honour ;  but,  lo,  the 
Lord  hath  kept  thee  back  from  honour. 

12  And  Balaam  said  unto  Balak,  Spake  I  not  also 
to  thy  messengers  which  thou  sentest  unto  me, 
saying, 

13  If  Balak  would  give  me  his  house  full  of  silver 
and  gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord,  to  do  either  good  or  bad  of  mine  own 
mind  ;  but  what  the  Lord  saitii,  that  will  I  speak? 

formula  for  blessing  with  which  the  discourse 
closes  was  also  something  of  a  stock  expression, 
being  used  in  the  dying  benediction  of  Isaac 

upon  Esau  (Gen.  27  :  29). 

Balak's  emotions  in  consequence  of  Balaam's 
performances  have  passed  through  tlie  stages 
of  bewilderment  (23 :  11)  and  defensive  solicitude 
(ibid.,  ver.  25, 27),  and  liavc  now  risen  to  anger. 
In  the  intensest  vexation  he  smites  his  hands 
together  (ver.  lo),  and  his  dismissal  of  Balaam 
is  not  much  like  the  courtliness  of  dignified 
Oriental  etiquette.  His  command  to  Balaam 
to  "  break  "  or  "  flee  "  to  his  place  (ver.  ii)  seems 
to  imply  a  threat  that  worse  will  befall  him  if 
he  is  found  lingering ;  and  his  assertion  that 
Jehovah  has  kept  him  back  from  honor  does 
not  imply  an  acknowledgment  of  Jehovah  as 
the  controller  of  world  events,  but  rather  re- 
fers to  him  as  Balaam's  master  whom  he  has 
chosen  to  his  disadvantage.  Balaam  reminds 
him  of  what  he  told  his  messengers  Avhen  they 
came  to  him  the  second  time  (22 :  is),  and  then 
goes  on,  before  leaving  for  his  own  country, 
to  add  a  gratuitous  prediction  of  what  the  glori- 
ous Israelitish  nation  shall  do  to  Balak's  people 
in  the  latter  days  (ver.  14).  This  last  or  sup- 
plemental discourse,  with  its  prophecy  of  the 
star  and  the  sceptre,  contains  the  principal 
data  for  the  determination  of  the  place  of  the 
Balaam  discourses  in  Jewish  history  and  litera- 
ture, and  is  accordingly  the  most  interesting  to 
the  critics.  It  seems  to  come  less  naturally 
from  the  mouth  of  a  soothsayer,  or  even  a 
prophet,  of  the  time  of  Moses  than  the  other 
discourses,  and  to  reflect  quite  unmistakably 
the  historic  situation  and  enthusiasms  of  David's 
or  Solomon's  time.  While  raising  no  question 
as  to  the  historicity  of  the  Balaam  story  in  gen- 
eral, we  may  easily  conjecture  that  the  form  of 
his  discourses,  which  could  hardly  have  been 
reported  verbatim  by  an  eye-witness,  is  more  or 
less  owing  to  the  literary  talent  of  the  later 
authors  who  put  the  stories  into  shape.  Their 
patriotic  pride,  which  io  the  earlier  discourses 


Blessed  be  every  one  that  blesseth  thee, 
And  cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee. 

10  And  Balak's  anger  was  kindled  against  Balaam, 
and  he  smote  his  hands  together:  and  Balak 
said  unto  Balaam,  I  called  thee  to  curse  mine 
enemies,    and,    behold,    thou    hast    altogether 

11  blessed  them  these  three  times.  Therefore  now 
flee  tliou  to  thy  place:  I  thought  to  promote 
thee  unto  great  honour:  but,  lo,  the  Lord  liatli 

12  kept  thee  back  from  honour.  And  Balaam  said 
unto  Balak,  Spake  I  not  also  to  thy  messengers 

13  which  thou  sentest  unto  me,  saving.  If  Balak 
would  give  me  his  house  full  of  si'lver  and  gold, 
I  cannot  go  beyond  the  word  of  the  Lord,  to  do 
either  good  or  bad  of  mine  own  mind  ;  what  the 


expressed  the  glory  of  Israel  in  such  general 
pictures  as  could  easily  reveal  tliem.selves  to  a 
divinely  aided  seer  of  Moses'  time,  becomes 
more  specific  in  this  last  discourse,  and  issues 
in  a  production  in  which  the  environnient, 
which  always  plays  its  i)art  in  inspiration, 
seems  characteristic  of  a  later  epoch.  The  dis- 
course is  introduced  by  the  same  formula  as  the 
one  at  the  beginning  of  the  third  mcishal  (cf. 
ver.  15,  16  with  3,  4),  with  ouc  significant  addition 
(ver.  16) — and  knew  the  knowledge  of  the 
Most  High — which,  beyond  describing  a  mor- 
tal's admission  to  the  specific  disclo.sures  or 
visions  of  God,  seems  to  profess  a  knowledge 
of  the  divine  counsels  like  a  participation  in 
omniscience.  "With  an  attempt  at  a  representa- 
tion of  the  original  tenses  we  may  render  the 
discourse  itself  as  follows : 

"  I  see  him,  but  not  now  ; 
I  survey  him,  but  not  nigh. 
There  hath  gone  forth  a  star  from  Jacob  ; 
And  a  scepter  hath  risen  from  Israel ; 
And  it  hath  smitten  througli  both  sides  of 

]\foab, 
And  destroyed  all  the  sons  of  tumult. 
And  Edom  hath  become  a  possession  ; 
And  Seir  hath  become  a  possession — his 

enemies ; 
And  Israel  is  doing  mightily. 
And  one  lordeth  it  from  Jacob, 
And  destroyeth  the  survivor  from  the  city," 

As  suggestive  of  a  literary  origin  for  this  sup- 
plemental discourse,  there  is  not  only  tlie  ex- 
travagant claim  to  divine  knowledge  already 
referred  to,  but  the  opening  lines, 

"  I  see  him,  but  not  now ; 
I  survey  him,  but  not  nigh," 

seem  more  suggestive  of  the  pose  of  the  seer, 
the  artistic  color  which  a  professional  writer 
would  employ,  than  the  other  discourses.  The 
seer  views  the  liistory  of  Israel  as  a  panorani:i 
passing  before  his  eyes.    It  is  to  be  remembered 


102 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXIV. 


14  And  now,  behold,  I  go  unto  my  people :  come 
therefore,  and  I  will  advertise  thee  what  this  people 
shall  do  to  thy  people  in  the  latter  days. 

15  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said,  Balaam 
the  sou  of  Beor  hath  said,  and  the  man  whose  eyes 
are  open  hath  said  : 

16  He  hath  said,  which  heard  the  words  of  God, 
and  knew  the  knowledge  of  the  most  High,  which 
saw  the  vision  of  the  Almighty,  falling  into  a  trance, 
but  having  his  eyes  open : 


14  Lord  speaketh,  that  will  I  speak  ?  And  now,  be- 
hold, I  go  unto  my  people  :  come,  and,  I  will  ad- 
vertise thee  what  this  people  shall  do  to  thy 

15  people  in  the  latter  days.  And  he  took  up  his 
parable,  and  said, 

Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  saith, 

And  the  man  whose  eye  was  closed  saith : 

16  He  saith,  which  heareth  the  words  of  God, 
And  knoweth  the  knowledge  of  the  Most  High, 
Which  seeth  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
Falling  down,  and  having  his  eyes  open : 


that  his  sole  professed  theme  is  the  relation  or 
contact  of  Israel  with  Moab  in  the  "  futurity  of 
the  days  "  (ver.  u).  He  represents  the  power  of 
Moab  as  totally  broken  under  the  prowess  of 
some  monarch  of  Israel,  and  Edom  as  a  con- 
quered possession  entirely  subject  to  the  over- 
lordship  of  the  Israelitish  monarch  who  has 
hunted  out  and  destroyed  even  his  last  refuge. 
If  this  were  the  vision  of  a  man  seeing  prophet- 
ically into  the  far  future  we  should  expect  it  to 
conform  to  the  final  facts  of  Moab's  history,  in- 
stead of  disclosing  a  vista  arbitrarily  cut  off  at 
an  epoch  when  Moab's  history  w^as  not  closed, 
nor  had  it  even  assumed  its  characteristic  fea- 
tures. The  nearest  that  Moab  and  Edom  ever 
came  to  being  both  subjected  to  the  victorious 
arms  of  an  Israelitish  monarch  was  in  the  time 

of  David    (2   Sam.  8  :  2,  12-14  ;   1   Kings  11  :  15,  seq.  :   Ps. 

60  :  8, 9  and  title) ;  but  this  State  of  things  did  not 
continue,  both  nations  being  afterward  inde- 
pendent and  more  or  less  troublesome  to  Israel. 
"  The  Moabite  stone  informs  us  that  [the  people 
of  Moab]  were  again  subdued  by  Omri,  and 
oppressed  by  him  and  his  successors  for  forty 
years.  It  records  also  the  success  of  the  revolt 
of  Mesha,  alluded  to  in  2  Kings  1  :  1,  and  3  :  4, 
5.  Henceforth  the  Moabites,  though  defeated 
by  Joram  (2  Kings  3  :  21,  seq.) J  succeedcd  in  main- 
taining their  independence,  and  in  the  reign  of 
Joash  appear  (2  Kings  13  :  20)  even  to  have  waged 
offensive  war  against  Israel.  They  were  even- 
tually conquered  by  John  Hyrcanus,  129  B.  C, 
and  merged  in  the  Jewish  State.  So  too,  the 
Edomites  revolted  under  Solomon  (i  Kings  11  :  14, 
seq.) ;  and  Under  Joram  again  and  more  suc- 
cessfully (2  Kings  8  :  20) ;  and  though  defeated  by 
Amaziah  (2  Kings  14  : 7)  and  by  Uzziah  (2  Kings 
14  :  22)  J  were  never  again  completely  subjugated. 
Indeed,  in  the  reign  of  Ahaz  (2  ciiron.  28  :  17) 
they  invaded  Judah "  (Bible  Comm.).  The 
outlook  of  the  seer,  or  writer,  of  this  vision  of 
Balaam  therefore  appears  to  be  that  of  some  one 
who  shared  in  the  enthusiasm  of  David's  vic- 
tories and  glory  and  expected  his  supremacy 
over  Moab  and  Edom  to  be  permanent. 

The  most  direct  and  rational  way,  therefore, 
of  accounting  for  the  peculiarities  of  this  pre- 
diction regarding  the  fate  of  Moab  and  Edom 


seems  to  be  by  supposing  that  it  took  literary 
form  in  the  age  of  David  or  Solomon.  There 
remains  the  Messianic  interpretation,  which 
has  had  very  general  acceptance  in  the  Chris- 
tian church  and  which  has  not  been  without  its 
influence  among  the  Jews.  This  consists  in 
taking  Moab  and  Edom  as  types  of  the  enemies 
of  God  in  general,  and  is  based  on  the  principle 
that  as  the  prophecies  were  never  permanently 
fulfilled  in  the  literal  sense,  they  must  still 
await  a  progressive  fulfilment  in  a  spiritual 
sense.  Of  course  this  takes  it  for  granted  that 
Balaam  uttered  the  prediction  and  that  God 
used  him  to  proclaim  Messianic  or  eternally 
unfolding  truth.  The  star  and  the  sceptre  are 
taken  to  refer  to  a  line  of  kings  of  whom  David 
was  the  type  and  Messiah  the  consummation. 
This  interpretation  would  commend  itself  to  the 
Jewish  mind  through  the  brilliancy  of  its  fig- 
ures, and  especially  because  it  chimed  in  with 
the  Jewish  expectations  of  national  aggrandize- 
ment through  Messiah.  Given  a  nation  with 
such  a  fervent  and  inflammable  anticipation  of 
supremacy  in  the  world,  which  is  itself  a  phe- 
nomenon of  immense  significance  in  religious 
history,  and  any  prediction  of  wide  conquest 
and  power  need  only  be  too  extravagant  for 
immediate  literal  fulfilment  to  be  accepted  as 
Messianic.  The  star  was  a  not  uncommon  figure 
for  a  royal  personage  (isa.  14  :  12)  and  is  used  as 
a  predicate  of  the  risen  Lord  (Rev.  22  :  le).  It 
was  a  star  seen  in  the  East,  Balaam's  country, 
which  led  the  Wise  men  to  seek  the  new-born 
King  of  the  Jews  (Matt.  2  :  1, 2)^  and  the  leader  of 
the  last  rebellion  of  the  Jews  in  Hadrian's  time, 
perhaps  trading  on  this  very  passage  in  Ba- 
laam's discourse,  called  himself  ^ar-CocAa6,  or 
"  Son  of  the  Star."  The  figure  of  the  sceptre, 
interpretable  as  Messianic,  is  also  found  in 
Jacob's  dying  blessing  (see  Gen.  49  :  10) ^  that  com- 
position which  has  already  shown  one  parallel 
with  the  Balaam  discourses  (cf.  ver.  9  with  oen.  49  : 9) 
and  which  in  its  final  literarj^  form  is  probably 
not  far  removed  from  them  in  time.  This  Mes- 
sianic interpretation  has  been  an  accepted  one 
in  the  Christian  church,  especially  in  those  ages 
when  the  church  was  disposed  to  magnify  the 
marvelous  and  supernatural,  on  account  of  the 


Ch.  XXIV.] 


NUMBERS 


103 


17  I  shall  see  him,  but  not  now :  I  shall  behold 
him,  but  not  nigh:  there  shall  come  a  Star  out  of 
Jacob,  and  a  Sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel,  and 
shall  smite  the  corners  of  Moab,  and  destroy  all  the 
children  of  Sheth. 

18  And  Edom  shall  be  a  possession,  Seir  also  shall 
be  a  possession  for  his  enemies ;  and  Israel  shall  do 
valiantlj'. 

19  Out  of  Jacob  shall  come  he  that  shall  have 
dominion,  and  shall  destroy  him  that  remaineth 
of  the  city. 

20  And  when  he  looked  on  Amalek,  he  took  up 
his  parable,  and  said,  Amalek  ivas  the  tirst  of  the 
nations ;  but  his  latter  end  shall  be  tliat  he  perish 
for  ever. 

21  And  he  looked  on  the  Kenites,  and  took  up  his 
parable,  and  said.  Strong  is  thy  dwellingplace,  and 
thou  puttest  thy  nest  in  a  rock. 


17  I  see  him,  but  not  now  : 

I  behold  him,  but  not  nigh  : 

There  shall  come  forth  a  star  out  of  Jacob, 

And  a  sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel, 

And  shall  smite  through  the  corners  of  Moab, 

And  break  down  all  the  sons  of  tumult. 

18  And  Edom  shall  be  a  possession, 

Seir  also  shall  be  a  p«jssessiou,  which  were  his 

enemies ; 
While  Israel  doeth  valiantly. 

19  And  out  of  Jacob  shall  one  have  dominion. 
And  shall  destroy  the  remnant  from  tlie  city. 

20  And  he  looked  on  Amalek,  aud  took  up  his  para- 
ble, and  said, 

Amalek  was  the  first  of  the  nations  ; 

But  his  latter  end  shall  come  to  destruction. 

21  And  he  looked  on  the  Kenite,  and  took  up  his 
parable,  and  said. 

Strong  is  thy  dwelling  place. 
And  thy  nest  is  set  in  the  rock. 


church's  fervent  looking  forward  to  its  risen 
Lord's  universal  spiritual  reign,  though  it  must 
be  admitted  that  the  Old  Testament  predictions 
of  violence  and  carnage  in  connection  with 
Jewish  royal  supremacy  can  be  applied  to  the 
mild  sway  and  spread  of  Christianity  only  in 
an  accommodated  and  highly  spiritualized 
sense.  There  is  nothing  gained  for  Christian 
evidences  by  insisting  on  a  Messianic  interpre- 
tation for  this  passage.  The  more  rational  and 
defensible  position  is  thus  defined  by  Dr.  Robert 
Watson:  "The  oracle  of  Balaam  refers  to  the 
virility  and  prospective  dominance  of  Israel,  as 
a  nation  favored  by  the  Almighty  and  destined 
to  be  strong  in  battle.  The  range  of  the  pre- 
diction is  not  nearly  wide  enough  for  any  true 
anticipation  of  a  Messiah  gaining  universal 
sway  by  virtue  of  redeeming  love.  It  is  becom- 
ing more  and  more  necessary  to  set  aside  those 
interpretations  which  identify  the  Saviour  of 
the  world  with  one  who  smites  and  breaks  down 
and  destroys,  who  wields  a  sceptre  after  the 
manner  of  Oriental  despots." 

The  latter  part  of  ver.  17  exhibits  a  remarka- 
ble similarity  with  Jeremiah's  prophecy  against 
Moab  (Jer.  48 :  45  )j  and  indicates  the  custom  of 
drawing  on  a  common  stock  of  phrases  on  the 
part  of  different  prophets  or  writers.  The  term 
Sheth  is  probably  not  a  proper  name,  but  by 
the  addition  of  one  silent  letter  is  taken  by 
modern  translators  to  mean  noise,  or  tumult,  as 
in  R.  V.  The  word  is  derived  from  the  same 
verbal  root  as  the  term  used  by  Jeremiah  {loc. 
cit.),  in  the  phrase  translated  tumultuous  ones,  or 
literally,  sons  of  tumult.  The  word  translated 
corners  means  two  sides,  or  both  sides,  and  as 
the  Hebrew  word  is  oftenest  used  of  the  sides  of 
the  head,  it  may  perhaps  best  be  translated  tem- 
ples. The  same  word  is  used  in  the  singular  in 
Jeremiah.  Again,  the  obscure  word  translated 
destroy,  by  the  substitution  of  an  almost  ex- 
actly similar  letter  easily  confounded  by  a  tran- 


scriber, is  changed  into  the  exact  word  used  by 
Jeremiah  in  the  passage  cited  and  translated 
croivn  of  the  head.  Making  tliese  changes  in  the 
translation,  according  to  the  suggestion  of  Dill- 
mann,  we  find  the  parallelism  with  Jeremiah 
still  more  striking : 

"  And  it  hath  smitten  through  both  temples  of 
Moab, 
And  the  crown  of  the  head  of  the  sons  of 
tumult." 

In  consonance  with  the  phrase  sons  of  tumult, 
or  pride,  as  applied  to  Moab,  is  the  repeated 
indication  among  the  prophets  that  pride  was 
a  highly  characteristic  trait  of  that  nation  (see 

Isa.  16  :  6  ;   25  :  11  ;    Jer.  48  :  29  ;    Zeph.  2  :  8,  10). 

20-25.  These  three  brief  prophecies  are  ob- 
scure, both  on  account  of  the  lack  of  historical 
data  and  on  account  of  the  difiiculties  in  the  gram- 
matical construction.  Amalek  is  designated  as 
among  the  first  of  the  nations  (ver.  20)^  prob- 
ably in  power  and  glory,  as  its  king  has  already 
been  referred  to  as  a  sort  of  symbol  of  royal  great- 
ness (see  ver.  7),  The  Amalckitcs  were  a  Bedouin 
tribe  descended  from  Esau  (Gen.  36  :  ai),  living 
in  the  desert  south  of  Canaan,  who  early  op- 
posed Israel  in  their  journey  to  the  promised 
land  (Kxod.  17 :  8,  seq. )  and  were  therefore  marked 
as  at  perpetual  feud  with  Israel  ('bid.,  le).  After 
their  defeat  by  Saul  (i  sam.  is)  and  David  (i  Sam. 
27  :  8 ;  30  :  17),  they  dcclinod  more  and  more  in 
importance  until  finally  the  remnant  of  tlioni 
in  Mount  Seir  were  destroyed  by  the  Siraeonites 
at  the  time  of  Hezekiah  (i  Chrou.  4  :  42, 43).  The 
prophecy  regarding  the  Kenites  is  very  ob- 
scure on  account  of  the  difticulty  of  translating 
the  Hebrew  connective  particles  used  in  it.  It 
seems  a  more  probable  interpretation,  however, 
to  read  tliat  the  Kenite,  or  more  literally 
Kain,  shall  not  be  wasted  (vor.  22)  than  to 
read  as  the  translators  have  rendered  in  the 
Authorized  and  Revised  versions.     I  venture 


104 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXV. 


22  Nevertheless  the  Kenite  shall  be  wasted,  until 
Asshur  shall  carry  thee  away  captive. 

23  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said,  Alas, 
who  shall  live  when  God  doeth  this ! 

24  And  ships  shall  come  from  the  coast  of  Chittim, 
and  shall  afflict  Asshur,  and  shall  afflict  Eber,  and 
he  also  shall  perish  for  ever. 

25  And  Balaam  rose  up,  and  went  and  returned 
to  his  place :  and  Balak  also  went  his  way. 


22  Nevertheless  Kain  shall  be  wasted, 

Until  Asshur  shall  carry  thee  away  captive. 

23  And  he  took  up  his  parable,  and  said, 

Alas,  who  shall  live  when  God  doeth  this? 

24  But  ships  shall  come  from  the  coast  of  Kittim, 
And  they  shall  afflict  Asshur,  and  shall  afflict 

Eber, 
And  he  also  shall  come  to  destruction. 

25  And  Balaam  rose  up,  and  went  and  returned  to 
his  place :  and  Balak  also  went  his  way. 


the  following  translation  as  the  nearest  repre- 
sentation of  the  Hebrew : 

*'  Lasting  be  thine  abode ; 
And  fixed,  thy  nest  on  the  rock ; 
For  [God  requite  it]  if  Kain  shall  be  for 

destruction, 
Till  what  time  Asshur  shall  carry  thee  away 

captive." 

The  particle  which  I  have  translated  if  in  the 
third  line  is  often  used  in  a  sort  of  abbreviated 
form  of  oath  as  equivalent  to  a  strong  negative, 
as  in  Ps.  95  :  11 :  "Wherefore  I  sware  in  my 
wrath,  if  they  shall  enter  into  my  rest."  I  have 
chosen  to  insert  an  oath  form  in  brackets  in 
order  to  convey  the  feeling  of  a  strong  divine 
asseveration  that  their  security  should  last  until 
the  final  captivity  of  the  land.  This  makes  the 
prophecy  regarding  "the  Kenites"  a  friendly 
one  and  a  contrast,  or  rhetorical  offset,  to  the 
one  on  Amalek.  "The  Kenites"  were  a  tribe 
of  Midianitish  origin  (lo  :  29)  who  were  related 
to  Moses  by  marriage  (Judg.  1  :  le)  and  who,  in 
return  for  their  assistance  in  the  wilderness, 
were  offered  a  share  in  Israel's  blessings  (10  :  32). 
They  seem  always  to  have  remained  friendly 
neighbors  to  Israel,  living  a  sort  of  isolated  or 
close-nested  life  which  never  fully  coalesced 
with  that  of  Israel  (Judg.  1 :  le ;  1  Sam.  15 : 6) .  As  for 
the  prophecy  that  Asshur  shall  carry  thee 
away  captive  (ver.  22)^  this  may  refer  to  the 
northern  branch  of  the  tribe  which  settled  near 
Kedesh  of  Naphtali  (Judg.  4  :  11)  and  was  possi- 
bly involved  in  the  early  captivity  of  the  north- 
ern kingdom  under  Tiglath-Pileser  (2  Kings  15  : 
29) ;  but  it  is  more  probable  that  the  captivity 
apprehended  was  the  general  captivity  of  Israel 
and  Judah  which,  as  it  was  begun  by  Assyria, 
would  present  itself  prophetically  as  an  Assyr- 
ian captivity,  even  though  it  reached  its  final 
accomplishment  under  the  Babylonians.  Ba- 
laam's last  mashal,  or  parable  (ver.  23,  24) ^  can 
hardly,  with  our  present  knowledge,  be  inter- 
preted in  closer  detail  than  as  expressing  the 
apprehension  that,  after  all,  the  powers  that 
should  finally  prove  superior  to  the  formidable 
Eastern  nations  were  those  that  would  come 
iu  ships  from  the  side  of  Kittim;  i.  e.,  from 


Cyprus-way — meaning  the  European  powers 
in  general.  Asshur  and  Eber  are  the  names 
of  two  prominent  descendants  of  Shem  ( Gen.  10  : 
22, 24)  J  the  latter  being  the  one  who  gave  their 
distinctive  name  to  the  Hebrews.  "Eber"  is 
here  used  probably  not  of  the  descendants  of 
Abraham,  nor  of  the  western  Shemites  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  eastern  Shemites,  but  rather 
of  the  nations  beyond  the  Euphrates  in  general, 
except  the  Assyrians,  which  latter  are  comprised 
under  the  term  "Asshur."  Perhaps  Alexan- 
der's conquest  of  Persia,  which  is  called  Assyria 
in  Ezra  6  :  22,  may  be  taken  as  a  fulfilment  of 
this  prophecy  (see  1  Mace.  1  :  i).  The  prophecy 
ends,  not  with  the  cheering  prospect  of  an  ever- 
lasting kingdom  established,  but  with  the  going 
out  of  the  vista  in  successive  change  and  ruin  : 
He  also — i.  e.,  perhaps  the  power  from  beyond 
Cyprus — shall  come  to  destruction. 

Finally  it  is  related  that  Balaam  arose  and 
returned  to  his  place  (ver.  25) ,  but  it  has  been 
noted,  with  some  subtilty,  that  the  form  of  ex- 
pression is  not  that  used  of  a  person  actually 
arriving  at  his  place,  but  rather  of  one  setting 
out  on  his  way  thither,  thus  making  recon- 
cilement with  chap.  31  :  8;  Josh.  13  :  22  not 
altogether  impossible. 


Chap.  25.  Idolatry  and  immorality 
AT  Shittim.  Jehovah's  promise  to  Phine- 
HAS.  The  principal  part  of  this  chapter,  the 
portion  from  ver.  6  to  the  end,  appears  to  belong 
to  the  narrative  of  P,  and  relates  the  events 
which  were  the  motive  for  the  war  against  the 
Mldianites,  of  which  we  have  an  account  in 
chap.  31.  According  to  this  narrative  it  was 
the  Midianites  who  seduced  the  children  of  Is- 
rael into  immorality,  the  most  notable  offender 
being  the  daughter  of  one  of  their  chiefs.  The 
crime  of  the  Israelitish  prince,  who  was  caught 
in  the  act  of  adultery  with  her,  was  avenged 
by  Phinehas,  who  slew  both  of  the  offenders 
and  thus  stayed  the  ravages  of  a  plague  not 
previously  mentioned,  but  which  had  already 
brought  the  congregation  to  the  tent  of  meeting 
in  penitence.  It  is  thought  by  critics  that  the 
beginning  of  this  priestly  narrative,  which  may 
have  included  some  account  of  the  treacherous 


Ch.  XXV.] 


NUMBERS 


105 


CHAPTER    XXV 


1  AND  Israel  abode  in  Shittim,  and  the  people 
began  to  commit  whoredom  with  the  daughters  of 
Moab. 

2  And  they  called  the  people  unto  the  sacrifices 
of  their  gods :  and  the  people  did  eat,  and  bowed 
down  to  their  gods. 

3  And  Israel  joined  himself  unto  Baal-peor:  and 
the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Israel. 

4  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  all  the 
heads  of  the  people,  and  hang  them  up  before  the 
Lord  against  the  sun,  that  the  fierce  anger  of  the 
Lord  may  be  turned  away  from  Israel. 

5  And  Mosessaid  unto  the  judges  of  Israel,  Slay  ye 
every  one  his  men  that  were  joined  unto  Baal-peor, 

6  And,  behold,  one  of  the  children  of  Israel  came 
and  brought  unto  his  brethren  a  Midianitish  woman 
in  the  sight  of  Moses,  and  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  who  were 
weeping  before  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation. 


1  AND  Israel  abode  in  Shittim,  and  the  people 
began  to  commit  whoredom  with  the  daughters 

2  of  Moab:  for  they  called  the  people  unto  the 
sacrifices  of  their  gods  ;  and  the  people  did  eat, 

3  and  bowed  down  to  their  gods.  And  I.srael 
joined  himself  unto  Baal-peor:  and  the  anger  of 

4  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Israel.  And  tlie 
Lord  said  unto  Muses,  Take  all  the  chiefs  of  the 
people,  and  hang  them  up  unto  the  Lord  before 
the  sun,  that  the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  may 

5  turn  away  from  Israel.  And  Mosessaid  unto  the 
judges  of  Israel,  Slay  ye  every  one  his  meu  that 

6  have  joined  themselves  unto  Baal-i)eor.  And, 
behold,  one  of  the  children  of  Israel  came  and 
brought  unto  his  brethren  a  Midianitish  woman 
in  the  sight  of  Moses,  and  in  tlie  sight  of  all  the 
congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  while 
they  were  weeping  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of 


counsel  of  Balaam,  referred  to  in  31  :  16,  has 
been  omitted  in  favor  of  JE's  account  which 
comprises  ver.  1-5.  According  to  this  latter 
account  the  temptation  of  the  children  of  Israel 
to  immorality  came  through  the  daughters  of 
Moab,  and  the  impurity  was  connected  with 
idolatrous  worship.  The  being  "yoked  "  to  the 
service  of  a  false  god,  which  appears  to  have 
been  the  form  of  sin  most  thought  of  in  this 
account,  was  to  be  avenged  by  summary  and 
wholesale  slaughter  for  which  the  chiefs  were 
called  on  to  volunteer  as  executioners. 

1-5.  Israel  abode  in  Shittim.  This  was 
the  northern  limit  of  the  Israelitish  camp,  the 
name  being  an  abbreviation  for  Ahel-shittim,, 
"Acacia-meadow"  (see  33  :  49).  It  was  in  the 
plains  of  Moab  along  the  banks  of  the  Jordan 
nearly  opposite  Jericho  (see  22  .- 1).  The  people 
were  invited  by  the  women  to  the  sacrificial 
feasts  of  the  local  gods,  especially  the  Baal 
or  "lord"  of  Peor  (ver.  3),  His  worship  ap- 
pears to  have  been  of  a  licentious  character ; 
and  the  localizing  of  his  cult  in  this  place  ac- 
cords with  the  history  of  the  neighboring  cities 
of  the  Plain  (G«n.  is  :  4-11)  and  with  the  origin  of 
Moab  (ibid.,  30-38).  Somc  of  the  ancient  gods 
represented  the  reproductive  powers  of  nature, 
and  their  ritual  embodied  a  sort  of  licensed 
prostitution.  This  Baal  of  Peor  may  have  been 
that  sort  of  deity.  Israel  could  hardly  partici- 
pate in  the  people's  feasts  without  bowing  down 
to  their  gods  and  thus  becoming  identified  or 
joined  with  them.  This  appears  to  have  been 
regarded  as  the  real  center  of  their  guilt  and 
the  occasion  of  the  pestilence  which  was  found 

raging    among    them   ( ^-er.  S,  5  ;   Ps.  lOe  :  28  ;    Rosea  9  : 

10;  Bev.  2  :  14).  It  is  a  principle  of  religious 
thought  that  those  who  eat  of  the  sacrifices 
have  communion  with  the  altar  (i  Cor.  lo  : 
18).    Balaam's  advice  which,  according  to  P's 


account,  was  the  suggestion  resulting  in  this 
heathenish  enticement  (3i  :  i6),  was  no  doubt 
intended  to  commit  the  Israelites  to  a  commun- 
ion with  idolatrous  practices,  and  thus  alien- 
ate the  divine  favor  and  protection  by  awaken- 
ing the  jealous  anger  of  Jehovah.  The  com- 
mand in  ver.  4  is  very  misleading  in  the  Author- 
ized version,  and  indeed  in  any  literal  render- 
ing, on  account  of  the  obscurity  of  the  pronoun 
them  which  appears  without  antecedent.  The 
meaning  is :  "  Take  unto  thee  all  the  chiefs  of 
the  people  and  hang  up  the  offenders  unto  Jeho- 
vah before  the  sun,"  i.  e.,  publicly  (cf.  2  Sam.  12 : 
12).  These  chiefs  of  the  people,  who  are  called 
judges  in  ver,  5,  were  to  act  as  executioners, 
each  one  slaying  "his  men,"  i.  e.,  those  who 
belonged  to  his  tribe  or  division  of  the  congre- 
gation. After  they  were  slain  the  bodies  would 
be  publicly  exposed  by  impaling  or  fastening 

to  a  cross  (cf.  Oeut.  21  :  23  ;    2  Sam.  21  :  6,  8-10). 

6-9.  This  paragraph  and  the  rest  of  the  chap- 
ter seems  to  contain  a  slightly  variant  account 
which  in  some  former  setting  had  a  different  or 
more  circumstantial  introduction  than  ver.  1-5. 
The  children  of  Israel  are  represented  as  weep- 
ing at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting  (ver.  6), 
though  it  is  not  specified  why  they  were  thus 
assembled.  We  may  assume  that  it  was  in  peni- 
tence on  account  of  the  anger  of  Jehovah  (>«; 
ver.  3).  While  the  people  were  thus  engaged  a 
prominent  man  of  the  children  of  Israel  brouglit 
near  to  his  brethren  the  Midianitish  woman 
— perhaps  the  one  mentioned  in  some  former  in- 
troduction—with the  utmost  impudence  and 
publicity,  and  proceeded  to  take  her  to  the 
n^p,  qubbah,  or  women's  apartment  of  his  tent. 
This  act  hardly  looks  like  the  shameless  inde- 
cency of  idolatrous  or  religious  sex-worship,  but 
more  like  a  high-handed  act  of  adultery  or 
of  alien  marriage.    Whatever  the  nature  of  the 


106 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXV. 


7  And  when  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the  son 
of  Aaron  the  priest,  saw  it,  he  rose  up  from  among 
the  congregation,  and  took  a  javelin  in  his  hand  ; 

8  And  he  went  after  the  man  of  Israel  into  the 
tent,  and  thrust  both  of  them  through,  the  man  of 
Israel,  and  the  woman  through  her  belly.  So  the 
plague  was  stayed  from  the  children  of  Israel. 

9  And  those  that  died  in  the  plague  were  twenty 
and  four  thousand. 

10  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

11  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron 
the  priest,  hath  turned  my  wrath  away  from  the 
children  of  Israel,  while  he  was  zealous  for  my  sake 
among  them,  that  I  consumed  not  the  children  of 
Israel  in  my  jealousy. 

12  Wherefore  say,  Behold,  I  give  unto  him  my 
covenant  of  peace : 

13  And  he  shall  have  it,  and  his  seed  after  him, 
even  the  covenant  of  an  everlasting  priesthood  ; 


7  meeting.  And  when  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Ele- 
azar, the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest,  saw  it,  he  rose 
up  from  the  midst  of  the  congregation,  and  took 

8  a  spear  in  his  hand  ;  and  he  went  after  the  man 
of  Israel  into  the  pavilion,  and  thrust  both  of 
them  through,  the  man  of  Israel,  and  the  woman 
through  her  belly.    So  the  plague  was  stayed 

9  from  the  children  of  Israel.  And  those  that  died 
by  the  plague  were  twenty  and  four  thousand. 

10  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 

11  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron 
the  priest,  hath  turned  my  wrath  away  from  the 
children  of  Israel,  in  that  he  was  jealous  with 
my  jealousy  among  them,  so  that  I  consumed 
not   the   children  of   Israel    in    my   jealousy. 

12  Wherefore  say.  Behold,   I  give  unto  him  my 

13  covenant  of  peace:  and  it  shall  be  unto  him, 
and  to  his  seed  after  him,  the  covenant  of  an 
everlasting  priesthood;  because  he  was  jealous 


act,  it  was  at  least  a  crime  which  aroused  the 
burning  indignation  of  Phinehas,  the  high 
priest's  son,  and  made  him  jealous  with  Jeho- 
vah's jealousy  (see  ver.  ii).  Arming  himself  with 
a  spear,  he  followed  the  guilty  couple  into 
the  alcove  or  arched  private  apartment  of  the 
tent  (ver.  8)  and  killed  them  both  in  the  adulter- 
ous act.  As  a  result  of  this  vindication  of  Jeho- 
vah's honor  it  is  said  that  "  the  plague,"  which 
has  not  before  been  mentioned,  "was  stayed." 
Perhaps  the  expression  the  anger  of  Jeho- 
vah was  kindled  against  Israel  (ver.  3) 
may  be  taken  as  a  way  of  saying  that  the  plague 
had  broken  out.  Certainly  some  manifestation 
of  Jehovah's  displeasure  had  called  out  meas- 
ures for  averting  it  (ver.  4),  and  a  penitential 
gathering  at  the  tent  of  meeting  (ver.  6).  The 
number  stated  to  have  died  by  the  plague  was 
twenty-four  thousand  (ver.  9),  This  is  one  thou- 
sand more  than  Paul  gives  in  his  reference  to 
this  event  (i  cor.  lo  :  8).  It  is  thought  that  the 
apostle  followed  the  Jewish  tradition  according 
to  which  one  thousand  of  the  twenty-four  thou- 
sand were  slain  by  their  brethren  according  to 
the  orders  of  Moses  in  ver.  5. 

10-15.  Along  with  the  gratifying  signs  that 
the  plague  was  checked,  there  came  to  Moses  a 
conviction  which  amounted  to  the  "word  of 
Jehovah  "  that  the  act  of  Phinehas  was  the  occa- 
sion of  the  respite.  It  is  his  disposition  rather 
than  his  act  which  is  emphasized.  He  turned 
away  Jehovah's  wrath  from  the  children  of  Israel 
because  he  ivas  jealous  with  my  jealousy  (ver.  ii). 
This  does  not  mean  simply  jealous  for  Jeho- 
vah, but  having  Jehovah's  actual  feeling  and 
exercising  it  on  the  offenders.  The  wrath  of 
Jehovah  is  thought  of  as  diffused,  as  it  were, 
and  making  the  whole  climate  or  atmosphere 
pestilential,  until  Phinehas  concentrated  and 
embodied  it  in  his  own  person  and  discharged 
it  like  an  electric  bolt  on  a  selected  object. 
In  ver.  13  this  act  is  called  making  atonement 


for  the  children  of  Israel ;  and  it  is  worth 
while  to  notice  what  idea  underlies  the  concep- 
tion of  atonement  in  this  place.  Atonement 
here  seems  to  be  an  act  of  divine  judgment 
launched  upon  especially  conspicuous  offenders 
in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  exemplary  and  so 
salutary  to  the  great  bulk  of  the  people.  The 
ones  who  suffer  are  the  sinners  who,  by  their 
very  conspicuousness,  become  types;  and  the 
one  who  makes  atonement  is  the  person  who 
embodies  Jehovah's  disposition ;  and  the  atone- 
ment for  the  people  consists  in  so  disclosing  the 
ethical  aspect  of  the  divine  visitation  as  to  dis- 
charge its  intended  function  at  once  and  relieve 
the  multitude.  It  is  the  true  act  of  a  priest, 
very  seldom  perfectly  performed  by  a  human 
being,  so  to  embody  the  divine  feeling  in  an  act 
of  retribution  or  absolution  as  to  be  an  agent 
for  God.  This  is  the  act  which  is  contemplated 
by  our  Lord  when  he  says  :  "  What  things  so- 
ever ye  shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in 
heaven  ;  and  what  things  soever  ye  shall  loose 
on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven"  (Matt,  is  : 
18  ;  cf.  16  :  19 ;  John  20  :  23).  In  Ps.  106  :  30  Phine- 
has' act  of  atonement  is  called  "  executing  judg- 
ment." The  late  Eev.  F.  W.  Eobertson  relates 
how  on  one  occasion  in  his  own  experience  he 
found  his  whole  being  going  out  against  a  pecu- 
liarly dastardly  miscreant  in  such  a  pure  and 
unselfish  current  of  indignation  that  he  seemed 
to  be  borne  along  supernaturally,  and  felt  sol- 
emnly sure  that  he  was  pronouncing  the  divine 
sentence  against  the  sinner. 

Having  thus  proven  himself  morally  endowed 
for  a  righteous  priesthood,  Phinehas  was  as- 
sured of  Jehovah's  covenant  of  peace  (ver. 
12).  His  outburst  of  divine  indignation  was 
really  an  act  of  peace-making  which  at  least 
showed  that  he  himself  was  at  peace,  or  at- 
one, with  the  mind  of  God.  This  should  be, 
moreover,  to  him  and  to  his  posterity,  the 
covenant  of  an  everlasting  priesthood, 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


NUMBERS 


107 


because  he  was  zealous  for  his  God,  and  made  an 
atonement  for  the  children  of  Israel. 

14  Now  the  name  of  the  Israelite  that  was  slain, 
even  that  was  slain  with  the  Midianitish  woman, 
was  Zimri,  the  son  of  Salu,  a  prince  of  a  chief  house 
among  the  Simeonites. 

15  And  the  name  of  the  Midianitish  woman  that 
was  slain  tvas  Cozbi,  the  daughter  of  Zur;  he  was 
head  over  a  people,  and  of  a  chief  house  in  Midian. 

16  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

17  Vex  the  Midianites,  and  smite  them  : 

18  For  they  vex  you  with  their  wiles,  wherewith 
they  have  beguiled  you  in  the  matter  of  Peor,  and 
in  the  matter  of  Cozbi,  the  daughter  of  a  prince  of 
Midian,  their  sister,  which  was  slain  in  the  day  of 
the  plague  for  Peor's  sake. 


for  his  God,  and  made  atonement  for  the  chil- 

14  dren  of  Israel.  Now  the  name  of  the  man  of 
Israel  that  was  slain,  who  was  slain  with  the 
Midianitish  woman,  wasZiniri,  the  son  of  Salu, 
a  prince  of  a  fathers'  hi)use  among  the  Simeon- 

15  ites.  And  the  name  of  the  Midiauiti.sh  woman 
that  was  slain  was  Cozbi,  the  daughter  of  Zur; 
he  was  head  of  the  people  of  a  fathers'  house  in 
Midian. 

16  And     the     Lord     spake    unto    Moses,     say- 

17  ing,    Vex    the    Midianites.    and    smite    them: 

18  for  they  vex  you  with  tht-ir  wiles,  wherewith 
they  have  beguiled  you  in  the  matter  of  Peor, 
and  in  the  matter  of  Cozbi,  the  daughter  of  the 
prince  of  Midian,  their  sister,  which  was  slain 
on  the  day  of  the  plague  in  the  matter  of  Peor. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 


1  AND  it  came  to  pass  after  the  plague,  that  the 
Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Eleazar  the  son  of 
Aaron  the  priest,  saying, 


1     AND  it  came  to  pass  after  the  plague,  that  the 
Lord  spake  unto  Moses  and  unto  Eleazar  the  sou 


priesthood  of  eteryiity  (ver.  is).  It  appears  from 
the  history  that  the  high-priesthood  was  per- 
petuated in  the  line  of  Phinehas,  with  a  brief 
exception  in  the  time  immediately  succeed- 
ing Eli,  during  the  whole  Jewish  monarchy, 
and  until  the  Jewish  State  was  gradually  dis- 
solved througli  the  tyranny  of  Herod  and  his 

successors    ( sec  Judg.  20  :  28  ;    1  Sam.  14  :  3  ;    22  :  9,  20  ;   2 

Sam.  8  :  17;  1  Kings  2 :  27,  35).  The  word  eternity 
here,  if  the  promise  is  to  be  held  as  being  ful- 
filled, must  mean  simply  lasting  as  long  as  the 
priesthood  is  perpetuated  in  the  family  of 
Aaron ;  but  there  is  a  sense  in  which  Phinehas 
may  be  said  by  his  embodying  Jehovah's  dispo- 
sition to  have  realized  what  priesthood  means 
in  its  eternal  or  elemental  signification. 

This  emphatic  divine  approval  of  a  private 
person's  zeal  and  promptness  in  taking  the  law 
into  his  own  hands  seems  to  be  an  authorization, 
in  exceptional  circumstances,  of  mob  or  lynch 
law.  Indeed,  "  upon  this  act  of  Phinehas,  and 
the  similar  examples  of  Samuel  (i  sam.  15  :  ss) 
and  Mattathias  (1  Mace.  2  :  24)  the  later  Jews 
erected  the  so-called  '  zealot  right,'  jus  zealot- 
arum,  according  to  which  any  one,  even  though 
not  qualified  by  his  ofiicial  position,  possessed 
the  right,  in  cases  of  any  daring  contempt 
of  the  theocratic  institutions,  or  any  daring 
violation  of  the  honor  of  God,  to  proceed  with 
vengeance  against  the  criminals"  (Keil).  We 
may  say,  however,  that  such  exceptional  up- 
surgings  of  elemental  divine  wrath  are  not 
occurrences  which  can  be  legitimized  by  any 
verbal  formulation  of  law  or  citation  of  cases. 
Mob  law,  which  is  essentially  anarchy,  is  so 
contradictory  to  the  very  nature  of  society  that 
it  cannot  safely  be  recognized  in  any  civilized 
State.  The  awful  fact  remains,  nevertheless, 
that  where  the  organized  forces  of  law  and 
order  are  weak  or  corrupt,  or  the  means  for  a 
sufficiently  swift  legitimate  vengeance  are  not 


obtainable,  an  exceptionally  atrocious  crime 
will  now  and  then  call  forth  a  demand  and  im- 
pulse for  vengeance  which  is  like  an  irresistible 
divine  rage  surging  up  from  the  very  depths  of 
human  nature. 

The  persons  who  fell  under  the  stroke  of  the 
zealous  Phinehas  were  of  prominence  and  influ- 
ence. It  was  unmistakably  a  crime  in  high  life. 
The  father  of  the  Midianitish  princess  was  not 
only  a  head  of  the  people  of  a  fathers' 
house  ( ver.  15,  R.  V. ),  but  hc  is  mentioned  in  31 : 8 
as  one  of  the  five  kings  of  Midian  slain  in  the 
battle  which  this  incident  provoked. 

16-18.  The  directions  given  in  this  section  are 
carried  out  in  chap.  31.  Just  as  the  Amalekites, 
the  first  warlike  opposers  of  Israel  in  his  strike  for 
a  better  life,  were  to  be  held  as  perpetual  enemies 
(Exod.  17  :  16),  SO  the  Midiauitcs,  Israel's  insidious 
tempters,  despite  their  friendly  exterior,  were 
to  be  fought  against,  and  so  distinctly  pointed 
out  to  the  people  as  foes.  There  is  no  attempt 
to  oppose  guile  with  guile.  It  is  no  case  where 
guile  has  any  leverage  or  resi.sting  power.  There 
are  some  temptations  which  cannot  be  out- 
witted ;  they  must  be  hated  and  risen  above. 
The  first  requisite,  therefore,  in  rendering  the 
seductive  Midianites  innocuous  to  the  nation 
Avas  to  bring  them  out  into  the  open  and  exhibit 
them  as  deadly  enemies,  Tlie  latter  part  of 
ver.  18  appears  to  be  a  rather  awkward  addition 
"  intended  to  make  room  for  chap.  31.  The  re- 
dactional  character  of  the  addition  appears 
plainly  in  the  attempt  to  connect  '  the  matter 
of  Peor,  and  the  matter  of  Cozbi,'  which  really 
have  no  connection  "  (Bacon). 


Chap.  26.  The  second  census  of  Israel. 
This  and  the  following  chapters,  to  and  includ- 
ing chap.  31,  are  all  of  a  statistical  and  legisla- 
tive character,  and  belong  to  P.  1-4.  It  came 
to  pass  after  the  plague  (ver.  i).  This  phrase 


108 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


2  Take  the  sum  of  all  the  congregation  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  from  twenty  years  old  and  up- 
ward, throughout  their  fathers'  house,  all  that  are 
able  to  go  to  war  in  Israel. 

3  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  spake  with 
them  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho, 
saying, 

4  Take  the  sum  of  the  people,  from  twenty  years  old 
and  upward  ;  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  and 
the  children  of  Israel,  which  went  forth  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt, 

5  Reuben,  the  eldest  son  of  Israel:  the  children 
of  Reuben  ;  Hanoch,  of  whom  cometh  the  family  of 
the  Hanochites :  of  Pallu,  the  family  of  the  Pal- 
luites : 

6  Of  Hezron,  the  family  of  the  Hezronites :  of 
Carmi,  the  family  of  the  Carmites. 

7  These  are  the  families  of  the  Reubenites :  and 
they  that  were  numbered  of  them  were  forty  and 
three  thousand  and  seven  hundred  and  thirty. 


2  of  Aaron  the  priest,  saying.  Take  the  sum  of  all 
the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel,  from 
twenty  years  old  and  upward,  by  their  fathers' 
houses,  all  that  are  able  to  go  forth  to  war  in 

3  Israel.  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  spake 
with  them  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  the  Jordan 

4  at  Jericho,  saying,  Take  the  sum  of  the  people  Avova 
twenty  years  old  and  upward  ;  as  the  Lord  com- 
mauded  Moses  and  the  children  of  Israel,  which 
came  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

5  Reuben,  the  firstborn  of  Israel :  the  sons  of 
Reuben  ;  of  Hanoch.  the  family  of  the  Hanoch- 

6  ites :  of  Pallu,  the  family  of  the  Palluites :  of 
Hezron,  the  family  of  the  Hezronites  :  of  Carmi, 

7  the  family  of  the  Carmites.  These  are  the  fam- 
ilies of  the  Reubenites :  and  they  that  were 
numbered  of  them  were  forty  and  three  thou- 


in  the  Hebrew  Bibles  is  appended  to  the  last 
chapter,  but  it  evidently  belongs  here.  It  gives 
the  approximate  time  of  the  numbering  and,  by 
mentioning  the  plague,  intimates  the  principal 
cause  for  the  marked  decrease  in  numbers  found 
in  some  of  the  tribes.  As  in  the  census  at  Sinai 
(chap.  1),  the  numbering  is  of  those  above  twenty 
years  of  age  (ver.  2)^  and  is  intended  to  determine 
the  military  strength  of  the  nation.  This  chap- 
ter also  adds  the  list  of  names  of  the  heads  of 
families  in  the  tribes  as  a  basis  for  the  division 
of  the  land  which  they  are  soon  to  occupy  (ver. 
53,  54).  The  numbers  may  be  compared  with 
those  in  chap.  1,  the  names  with  those  in  the 
list  of  grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren 
of  Jacob  in  Gen.  46,  with  which  they  very 
nearly  correspond.  A  table  of  the  descendants 
of  Israel  through  the  tribes  of  Reuben,  Simeon, 
and  Levi  is  also  found  in  Exod.  6  :  14-25 ;  and 
in  1  Chron.  2  to  8  more  extended  lists  of  all  the 
tribes  brought  down  to  a  late  date  are  inserted. 
Ver.  3  and  4  are  somewhat  obscure  in  their 
grammatical  features,  indicating  some  corrup- 
tion in  the  text.  A  whole  clause  has  to  be  in- 
serted by  the  translators  at  the  beginning  of  ver. 
4  to  complete  the  sense,  as  is  indicated  by  the 
italics.  Perhaps  the  last  phrase  of  ver.  4,  and 
the  children  of  Israel  which  went  forth 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  is  to  be  taken  as 
the  title  of  what  follows,  as  in  the  Septuagint, 
instead  of  the  object  of  the  verb  commanded, 
which  latter  construction  has  not  the  mark  of 
the  objective  case  to  justify  it  in  the  Hebrew. 

5-51.  These  footings  represent  the  number  of 
the  new  generation  who  survive  to  take  the  place 
of  those  who  were  sentenced  to  die  in  the  wilder- 
ness. The  time-division  which,  according  to 
the  Deuteronomist,  marks  the  passing  away  of 
the  old  generation  and  the  exclusive  dominance 
of  the  new  is  the  period  of  the  crossing  of  the 
brook  Zered  (Oeut.  2  :  13-15  ;  cf.  Numb.  21 :  12).     With 

the  exception  of  the  plague  (25 :  9)  all  the  mis- 


haps which  had  their  effect  in  diminishing  the 
number  of  the  people,  such  as  the  destroying  of 
the  company  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram 
(16  :  32, 35),  and  the  wasting  of  the  multitude 
through  the  bites  of  the  serpents  (21 :  6),  occurred 
before  this  time.  Of  course,  some  of  the  victims 
of  these  visitations  were  undoubtedly  of  the  old 
generation  and  some  of  the  new ;  but  all  these 
causes  of  diminution  were  insignificant  compared 
with  the  plague  which  took  off  twenty-four  thou- 
sand at  a  stroke.  The  numbers  of  those  enumer- 
ated at  Sinai  (chap.  1)  and  those  counted  up  in 
the  plains  of  Moab  may  best  be  compared  in  a 
tabular  summary : 

In 


At  Sinai 

Arboth-Mc 

Reuben, 

46,500 

43,730 

Simeon, 

59,300 

22,200 

Gad, 

45,650 

40,500 

Judah, 

74,600 

76,500 

Issachar, 

54,400 

64,300 

Zebulun, 

57,400  . 

60,500 

Ephraim , 

40,500 

32,500 

Manasseh, 

32,200 

52,700 

Benjamin, 

35,400 

45,600 

Dan, 

62,700 

64,400 

Asher, 

41,500 

53,400 

Naphtali, 

53,400 

45,400 

The  tribes  are  placed  in  the  same  order  in 
this  chapter  as  in  chap.  1,  excepting  that  here 
Manasseh,  which  has  outstripped  Ephraim  in 
point  of  numbers,  is  placed  before  that  tribe. 
The  first  three  tribes,  belonging  to  the  camp  of 
Reuben,  have  all  suffered  diminution.  A  sort  of 
general  sullenness,  reflected  in  the  sentiments 
of  Dathan  and  Abiram  (10 :  12-15),  seems  to  have 
pervaded  the  tribe  of  the  firstborn,  and  this 
may  have  spread  more  or  less  to  the  whole  camp 
of  which  Reuben  was  the  head,  and  so  contrib- 
uted to  bring  on  these  people  their  full  share  of 
the  judgment  of  the  plague.    Besides,  the  tribe 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


NUMBERS 


109 


8  And  the  sons  of  Pallu  ;  Eliab. 

9  And  the  sons  of  Eliub;  Neuiuel,  and  Dathan, 
and  Abiram.  This  is  that  Dathan  and  Abiram,  which 
were  famous  in  tlie  congregation,  who  strove  against 
Moses  and  against  Aaron  in  the  company  of  Korah, 
when  they  strove  against  tlie  Lord  : 

10  And  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swal- 
lowed them  up  together  with  Korah,  when  that 
company  died,  what  time  the  tire  devoured  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men  :  and  they  became  a  sign. 

11  Notwithstanding  the  children  of  Korali  died 
not. 

12  The  sons  of  Simeon  after  their  families:  of 
Nemuel,  the  family  of  the  Nemuelites :  of  Jamin, 
the  family  of  the  Jaminites :  of  Jachiu,  the  family 
of  the  Jachinites: 

13  Of  Zerah,  the  family  of  the  Zarhites  :  of  Shaul, 
the  family  of  the  Shaulites. 

14  These  are  the  families  of  the  Simeonites,  twenty 
and  two  thousand  and  two  hundred. 

15  The  children  of  Gad  after  their  families:  of 
Zephon,  the  family  of  the  Zephonites :  of  Haggi, 
the  family  of  the  Haggites  :  of  Shuni,  tiie  family  of 
the  Shunites : 

16  Of  Ozni,  the  family  of  the  Oznites  :  of  Eri,  the 
family  of  the  Erites  : 

17  Of  Arod,  the  family  of  the  Arodites  :  of  Areli, 
the  family  of  the  Arelites. 

18  These  are  the  families  of  the  children  of  Gad 
according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
forty  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

19  The  sons  of  Judah  ivcre  Er  and  Onan  :  and  Er 
and  Onan  died  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

20  And  the  sons  of  Judah  after  their  families 
were;  of  Shelah,  the  family  of  the  Shelanites :  of 
Pharez,  the  family  of  the  Pharzites:  of  Zerah,  the 
family  of  the  Zarhites. 

21  And  the  sons  of  Pharez  were ;  of  Hezron,  the 
family  of  tlie  Hezronites  :  of  Hamul,  the  family  of 
the  Hamulites. 

22  These  are  the  families  of  Judah  according  to 
those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  threescore  and 
sixteen  thousand  and  five  hundred. 

23  Of  the  sons  of  Issachar  after  their  families  :  of 
Tola,  the  family  of  the  Tolaites :  of  Pua,  the  family 
of  the  Punites : 


8  sand  and  seven  hundred  and  thirty.    And  the 

9  Sims  of  Pallu;  Eliab.  And  the  sous  of  Eliab; 
Nemuel.  and  Dathan,  and  Abiram.  These  are 
that  Dalhan  ami  Abuum,  which  were  called  of 
the  congregation,  who  strove  against  Moses  and 
against  Aaron  in  the  (;ompany  of  Korah,  when 

10  they  strove  against  the  Lord  :  and  the  earth 
opened  her  mouth,  and  swallcnved  them  up 
together  with  Korah,  when  that  company  died  ; 
wh;it  time  the  (ire  devoured  two  Jiundred  and 

11  filty  men,  and  they  became  a  sign.  Nutwitli- 
standing  the  sons  of  Korali  died  not. 

12  The  sons  of  Simeon  after  their  families:  of 
Nemuel,  the  family  of  the  Nemuelites  :  of  Jamin, 
the  family  of  the  Jaminites  :  of  Jachin,  the  fam- 

13  ily  of  the  Jachinites :  of  Zerah,  the  family  of  the 
Zerahites  :  of  Shaul,  the  family  of  ilie  Shaulites. 

14  These  are  the  families  of  the  .Siiiieoniles,  twenty 
and  two  thousand  and  two  hundred. 

15  The  sons  of  Gad  after  their  families:  of  Zephon, 
the  family  of  the  Zephonites:  of  Huggai,  the 
family  of  the  Haggites  :  of  Shuni,  the  family  of 

16  the  Shunites:  of  Ozni,  the  familvof  the  Oznites: 

17  of  Eri,  the  family  of  the  Erites:  of  Arod,  the 
family  of  the  Arodites:  of  Areli,  the  family  of 

18  the  Arelites.  These  are  the  families  of  the  sous 
of  Gad  according  to  those  that  were  numbered 
of  them,  forty  thousand  and  Wvq  hundred. 

19  The  sons  of  Judah,  Er  and  Onan  :  and  Er  and 

20  Onan  died  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  And  the  sons 
of  Judah  after  their  families  were;  of  Shelah, 
the  family  of  the  Shelanites:  ol  Perez,  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Perezites  :  of  Zerah,  the  fainilv  of  the 

21  Zerahites.  And  llie  sons  of  I'erez  were  ;"of  Hez- 
ron, the  family  of  the  Hezronites:  of  Hamul, 

22  the  family  of  the  Hamulites.  These  are  the 
families  of  Judah  according  to  those  that  were 
numbered  of  them,  threescore  and  sixteen  thou- 
sand and  five  hundred. 

23  The  sons  of  Issachar  after  their  families :  of 
Tola,  the  family  of  the  Tolaites  :  of  Puvah,  the 


of  Simeon,  whose  diminution  is  most  extraordi- 
nary, contained  as  one  of  its  chiefs  that  very 
Zimri  who  Avas  slain  by  Phinehas  at  the  time  of 
the  phigue  (25 :  14)^  and  his  bold  transgression 
may  have  been  one  of  the  accompaniments  of  a 
wide-spread  and  insolent  defection  in  his  tribe. 
The  numbering  seems  to  have  been  conducted 
according  to  some  such  system  of  round  num- 
bers as  was  followed  in  chap.  1,  as  the  footings 
of  all  the  tribes  show  even  hundreds  except  that 
of  Reuben  which  strangely  comes  out  with  an 
odd  thirty,  as  Gad  in  the  first  numbering  pre- 
sented an  odd  fifty.  If  the  plague  had  not 
occurred  to  diminish  the  number  by  twenty-four 
thousand  there  would  have  appeared  an  increase 
over  the  former  generation  of  twenty-two  thous- 
and one  hundred  and  eighty. 

The  line  of  Dathan  and  Abiram  (ver.  9,  lo) 
evidently  came  to  an  end  at  the  time  of  Korah's 
rebellion,  as  their  families  were  involved  in 
their  destruction  (i6  :  32, 33)^  thus  leaving  Eliab, 
and  his  father  Pallu  indeed,  with  only  Nemuel 
to  perpetuate  their  stock  (ver.  8,  9).  It  is  ex- 
pressly mentioned,  however,  that  the  sons  of 
Korah  the  Levite  died  not  ('<'er.  11).    In  fact 


these  descendants  of  that  influential  rebel  be- 
came the  progenitors  of  some  of  the  illustrious 
men  of  Israel,  distinguished  especially  in  con- 
nection with  public  worship.  According  to  1 
Chron.  6 :  22-28,  33-38,  Samuel  the  prophet 
whose  father,  however,  is  called  an  Ephrainiite 
in  1  Sam.  1  :  1,  is  made  out  to  lie  a  descendant 
of  Korah  ;  and  liis  grandson  Ilenian  the  singer 
(1  chrou.  6:33),  called  aLso  "the  king's  seer" 
(1  Chron.  25  :  5),  adds  lustcr  to  the  family  name. 
Several  of  the  Psalms,  according  to  their  titles, 
were  composed  for  tlie  sons  of  Korah  {^<^'v  J's.  ii, 
44-49),  the  indication  being  that  a  family  or 
guild  of  Levitical  singers  were  so  predominantly 
of  Korahite  descent  as  to  call  themselves  liy 
his  name, 

Several  of  the  names,  owing  no  doubt  to 
errors  of  transcription,  differ  slightly  from  the 
corresponding  names  found  in  other  lists.  For 
instance,  Nennicl  (ver.  12)  is  in  Gen.  46:10; 
Exod.  6  :  15  Jeniuel ;  and  Zerah  (ver.  13)  is  in 
Genesis  Zohar.  One  more  name,  Ohad,  appears 
in  Genesis  as  a  descendant  of  Simeon,  than  here. 
Jachin  in  ver.  12  is  represented  in  1  Chron.  4  : 
24  by  Jarib.   In  the  tribe  of  Gad  (ver.  i5)  Zephon 


110 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXVI. 


24  Of  Jashub,  the  family  of  the  Jashubites:  of 
Shimrou,  the  family  of  the'  Shimronites. 

25  These  are  the  families  of  Issachar  according  to 
those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  threescore  and 
four  thousand  and  three  hundred. 

26  OJ  the  sons  of  Zebulun  after  their  families  :  of 
Sered,  the  family  of  the  Sardites :  of  Elon,  the 
family  of  the  Elonites :  of  Jahleel,  the  family  of  the 
Jahleelites. 

27  These  are  the  families  of  the  Zebulunites  ac- 
cording to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  three- 
score thousand  and  tive  hundred. 

28  The  sons  of  Joseph  after  their  families  were 
Manasseh  and  Ephraim. 

29  Of  the  sons  of  Manasseh  :  of  Machir,  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Machirites  :  and  Machir  begat  Gilead  :  of 
Gilead  co7ne  the  family  of  the  Gileadites. 

30  These  are  the  sons  of  Gilead :  o/  Jeezer,  the 
family  of  the  Jeezerites:  of  Helek,  the  family  of 
the  Helekites : 

31  And  o/ Asriel,  the  family  of  the  Asrielites :  and 
of  Shechem,  the  family  of  the  Shechemites: 

32  And  of  Shemida,  the  family  of  the  Shemida- 
ites :  and  uf  Hepher,  the  family  of  the  Hepherites. 

33  And  Zelophehad  the  son  of  Hepher  had  no 
sons,  but  daughters  :  and  the  names  of  the  daugii- 
ters  of  Zelophehad  were  Mahlah,  and  Noah,  Hog- 
lah,  Milcah,  and  Tirzah. 

34  These  are  the  families  of  Manasseh,  and  those 
that  were  numbered  of  them,  fifty  and  two  thou- 
sand and  seven  hundred. 

35  These  are  the  sons  of  Ephraim  after  their  fam- 
ilies :  of  Shuthelah,  the  family  of  the  Shuthalhites  : 
of  Becher,  the  family  of  the  Bachrites :  of  Tahan, 
the  family  of  the  Tahanites. 

36  And  these  are  the  sons  of  Shuthelah  :  of  Eran, 
the  family  of  the  Eranites. 

37  These  are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Ephraim 
according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
thirty  and  two  thousand  and  five  hundred.  These 
are  the  sons  of  Joseph  after  their  families. 

38  The  sons  of  Benjamin  after  their  families:  of 
Bela,  the  family  of  the  Belaites :  of  Aslibel,  the 
family  of  the  As"hbelites :  of  Ahiram,  the  family  of 
the  Ahiranaites : 

39  Of  Shupham,  the  family  of  the  Shuphamites: 
of  Hupham,  the  family  of  the  Huphamites. 

40  And  the  sons  of  Bela  were  Ard  and  Naaman : 
of  Ard,  the  family  of  the  Ardites  :  avd  of  Naaman, 
the  family  of  theNaamites. 

41  Tliese  are  the  sons  of  Benjamin  after  their 
families:  and  they  that  were  numbered  of  them 
were  forty  and  five  thousand  and  six  hundred. 

42  These  are  the  sons  of  Dan  after  their  families: 
of  Shuham,  the  family  of  the  Shuhamites.  These 
are  the  families  of  Dan  after  their  families. 

43  All  the  families  of  the  Shuhamites,  according 
to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were  three- 
score and  four  tiiousand  and  four  hundred. 

44  Of  the  children  of  Asher  after  their  families: 
of  Jimna,  the  family  of  the  Jimnites:  of  Jesui,  the 


24  family  of  the  Punites  :  of  Jashub,  the  family  of 
the  Jashubites :  uf  Shimron,  the  family  of  the 

25  Shimronites.  These  are  the  families  of  Issachar 
according  to  those  that  were  numbered  of  them, 
threescore  and  four  thousand  and  three  hundred. 

26  The  sons  of  Zebulun  after  their  families :  of 
Sered,  the  family  of  the  Seredites  :  of  Elon,  the 
family  of  the  Elonites  :  of  Jahleel,  the  family  of 

27  the  Jahleelites.  These  are  the  families  of  the 
Zebulunites  according  to  those  that  were  num- 
bered of  them,  threescore  thousand  and  five 
hundred. 

28  The  sons  of  Joseph  after  their  families :  Ma- 

29  nasseh  and  Ephraim.  The  sons  of  Manasseh  :  of 
Machir,  the  family  of  Machirites:  and  Machir 
begat  Gilead :  of  Gilead,  the  family  of  the  Gil- 

30  eadites.  These  are  the  sons  of  Gilead  :  of  lezer, 
the  family  of  the  lezerites  :  of  Helek,  the  family 

31  of  the  Helekites  :  and  o/ Asriel,  the  family  of  the 
Asrielites :  and  of  Shechem,  the  family  of  the 

32  Shechemites:  and  o/ Shemida,  the  family  of  the 
Shemidaites:  and  of  Hepher,  the  family  of  the 

33  Hepherites.  And  Zelophehad  the  son  of  Hepher 
had  no  sons,  but  daughters:  and  the  names  of 
the  daughters  of  Zelophehad  were  Miihlah,  and 

34  Noah,  Hoglah,  Milcah,  and  Tirzah.  These  are 
the  families  of  Manasseh  :  and  they  that  were 
numbered  of  tiiem  were  fifty  and  two  thousand 
and  seven  hundred. 

35  These  are  the  sons  of  Ephraim  after  their  fam- 
ilies :  of  Shuthelah,  the  family  of  the  Shuthela- 
hites  :  of  Becher,  the  family  of  the  Becherites  :  of 

36  Tahan,  the  family  of  the  Tahanites.  And  these 
are  the  sons  of  Shuthelah  :  of  Eran,  the  family 

37  of  the  Eranites.  These  are  the  families  of  the 
sons  of  Ephraim  according  to  those  that  were 
numbered  of  them,  thirty  and  two  thousand  and 
five  hundred.  These  are  the  sons  of  Joseph 
after  their  families. 

38  The  sons  of  Benjamin  after  their  families  :  of 
Bela,  the  family  of  the  Belaites :  of  Ashbel,  the 
family  of  the  Ashbelites  :  of  Ahiram,  the  family 

39  of  the  Ahiramites:  of  Shephupham,  the  family 
of  the  Shuphamites:  of  Hupham,  the  family  of 

40  the  Huphamites.  And  the  sons  of  Bela  were 
Ard  and  Naaman  :  of  Ard,  the  family  of  the  Ard- 
ites :  of  Naaman,  the  family  of  the  Naamites. 

41  These  are  the  sons  of  Benjamin  after  their  fam- 
ilies: and  they  that  were  numbered  of  them 
were  forty  and  five  thousand  and  six  hundred. 

42  These  are  the  sons  of  Dan  after  their  families  : 
of  Shuham,  the  family  of  the  Shuhamites.  These 

43  are  the  families  of  Dan  after  their  families.  All 
the  families  of  the  Shuhamites,  according  to 
those  that  were  numbered  of  them,  were  three- 
score and  four  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

44  The  sons  of  Asher  after  their  families  :  of  Im- 
nah,  the  family  of  the  Imnites :  of  Ishvi,  the 


appears  at  Gen.  46  :  16  as  Ziphion,  Ozni  as  Ez- 
b  on,  and  A  rod  as  Arodi.  In  the  tribe  of  Issa- 
char (ver.  24)  Jashub  is  represented  in  Gen.  46  : 
13  by  Job.  The  tribe  of  Manasseh  seems  to 
have  only  one  name,  Machir,  of  the  first  gener- 
ation (ver.  29),  but  this  man  is  called  in  Josh.  17 : 
1  the  firstborn  of  Manasseh,  and  is  assigned 
Gilead  and  Bashan,  while  the  "  rest  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Manasseh  "  (iWd..  2)  are  given  a  portion 
on  the  west  of  the  Jordan  (iWd.,  7-11).  Jeezer  or 
Jezer  of  the  family  of  Gilead  (  ver.  so)  is  called 
in  Josh.  17  :  2  Abiezer  and  appears  from  Judg. 
6  :  11,  24,  34  to  have  become  the  founder  of 
a  large  clan  to  which  the  illustrious  Gideon 


belonged,  and  which  was  of  numbers  sufiicient  to 
form  a  considerable  military  force.  The  names 
of  the  Benjamites  are  fewer  than  in  Genesis  and 
present  considerable  variations,  not  only  in  the 
forms  of  the  names,  but  in  the  confounding  of 
different  generations.  Thus  two  sons  of  Bela, 
Naaman  and  Ard  (ver.  40),  are  in  Gen.  46  :  21 
given  as  sons  of  Benjamin  co-ordinate  with  the 
first  generation.  Ahiram  (ver.  ss)  appears  in 
Genesis  as  Ehi,  and  1  Chron.  8  :  1  as  Aharah  ; 
Shupham  or  Shephupham  and  Hupham  (ver.  39) 
as  Muppim  and  Huppim  ;  and  in  1  Chron.  8  :  3 
Ard  is  varied  to  Addar.  In  the  tribe  of  Dan 
Shuham    (ver.  42)  appears  in  Gen.  46  ;  23  as 


Ch.  XXVI.] 


NUMBERS 


111 


family  of  the  Jesuites :  of  Beriah,  the  family  of  the 
Berites. 

45  Of  the  sons  of  Beriah  :  of  Heber,  the  family  of 
the  Heberites :  of  Malchiel,  the  family  of  the  Mal- 
chielites. 

46  And  the  name  of  the  daughter  of  Asher  was 
Sarah. 

47  These  are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Asher  ac- 
cording to  tliose  that  were  numbered  of  them  ;  who 
were  fifty  and  three  thousand  and  four  hundred. 

48  Of  "the  sons  of  Naphtali  after  their  families  :  of 
Jahzeel,  the  family  of  the  Jahzeelites  :  of  Guni,  the 
family  of  the  Gunites  : 

49  Of  Jezer,  the  family  of  the  Jezerites :  of  Shil- 
lem,  the  family  of  the  Shillemites. 

50  These  are  the  families  of  Naphtali  according 
to  their  families:  and  they  that  were  numbered  of 
them  were  forty  and  five  thousand  and  four  hundred . 

51  These  ivere  the  numbered  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  six  hundred  thousand  and  a  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  thirty. 

52  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

53  Unto  these  tlie  land  shall  be  divided  for  an 
inheritance  acci^rding  to  the  number  of  names. 

54  To  many  thou  slialtgive  the  more  inheritance, 
and  to  few  thou  shalt  give  the  less  inheritance :  to 
every  one  shall  his  inheritance  be  given  according 
to  those  that  were  numbered  of  him. 

55  Notwithstanding  the  land  shall  be  divided  by 
lot:  according  to  the  names  of  the  tribes  of  their 
fathers  they  shall  inherit. 

56  According  to  the  lot  shall  the  possession  thereof 
be  divided  between  many  and  few. 

57  And  these  are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the 
Levites  after  their  families:  of  Gershon,  the  family 
of  the  Gershonites:  of  Kohath,  tlie  family  of  the 
Kohathites  :  of  Merari,  the  family  of  the  Merarites. 

58  These  are  the  families  of  the  Levites  :  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Libnites,  the  family  of  the  Hebronites, 
the  family  of  the  Mahlites,  the  family  of  the 
Mushites,  the  family  of  the  Korathites.  And  Ko- 
hath begat  Amram. 


family  of  the  Ishvites  :  of  lieriah,  the  family  of 

45  the  Beriites.  Of  the  sons  of  Beriah:  of  Heber, 
the  family  of  the  Heberites:   of  Malchiel,  tlie 

46  family  of  the  Malchielites.    And  the  name  of 

47  the  daugliter  of  Asher  was  Serah.  These  are  the 
families  of  the  sons  of  Asher  according  to  those 
that  were  numbered  of  them,  fifty  and  three 
thousand  and  four  hundred. 

48  The  sons  of  Naphtali  after  their  families:  of 
Jahzeel,  the  family  of  the  Jahzeeliles :  of  Guni, 

49  the  family  of  the  Gunites:  of  Jezer,  the  family 
of  the  Jezerites:  of  Shillem,  the  familv  of  the 

50  Shillemites.  These  are  the  families  of  Naphtali 
according  to  their  families:  and  they  that  were 
numbered  of  them  were  forty  and  five  tliousand 
and  four  hundred. 

51  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  six  hundred  thousand  and  a 
thousand  seven  luiinired  and  thirty. 

52  And    the    Lord    spake    unto    Moses,    saying, 
63  Unto  these  tlie  laud  shall  be  divided  for  an  iu- 

heritance  according  to  the  number  of  names. 

54  To  the  more  thou  shalt  give  the  more  inherit- 
ance, and  to  the  fewer  thou  shalt  give  the  less 
inheritance :  to  every  one  accijrding  to  those 
that  were  numbered  of  him  shall  his  inherit- 

55  ance  be  given.  Notwithstanding  the  land  shall 
be  divided  by  lot :  according  to  the  names  of  the 

56  tribes  of  their  fathers  they  shall  inherit.  Ac- 
cording to  the  lot  shall  their  inheritance  be  di- 
vided between  the  more  and  the  fewer. 

57  And  these  are  they  that  were  numbered  of  the 
Levites  after  their  families:  of  Gershon,  the 
family  of  the  Gershonites;  of  Kohath,  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Kohathites:  of  Merari,  the  family  of 

58  tlie  Merarites.  These  are  the  families  of  Levi : 
the  family  of  the  Libnites,  the  family  of  the 
Hebronites,  the  family  of  the  Mahlites,  the  fam- 
ily of  the  Mushites,  tlie  family  of  the  Korahites. 


Hushim.     Asher  has  one  more  family,  Ishvah, 
m  Gen.  46  :  17  than  here. 

52-56.  To  these  officially  established  family 
groups  the  land  of  Canaan  was  to  be  assigned.  A 
double  principle  of  division  which  at  first  seems 
perplexing  and  almost  inconsistent  was  to  be 
adopted.  The  size  of  the  inheritance  was  to 
be  regulated  according  to  the  number  of 
names  (ver.  53),  a  larger  portion  being  given  to 
a  larger  group  and  a  smaller  to  a  smaller  group 
(ver.  54).  Then  superimposed  on  this  scheme  is  an 
entirely  distinct  principle  of  division,  namely, 
that  the  land  was  to  be  divided  by  lot  (ver.  55, 
56).  It  is  evident  that  the  only  thing  Avhich  could 
be  subjected  to  the  chances  of  the  lot  was  the 
location  and  desirability  of  the  various  portions, 
as  the  size  must  be  regulated  by  the  populousness 
of  the  tribe.  It  is  also  evident  that  the  lot  was  the 
simplest  method  of  deciding  choice  of  location, 
and  perhaps  the  only  way  to  avoid  contentions. 
With  a  free  hand,  the  strong  and  populous 
tribes  would  have  monopolized  by  sheer  strength 
all  the  most  desirable  territory  of  Canaan.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  is  not  unworthy  of  note  that 
on  the  actual  occupation  of  the  land  the  largest 
and  most  influential  tribe,  that  of  Judah,  re- 
ceived the  greatest  single  section  of  the  moun- 


tainous and  barren  territory  of  Palestine.  The 
land  was  no  doubt  made  up  into  the  required 
number  of  indefinitely  bounded  portions,  dis- 
tinguished according  to  location  and  kind  of 
territory,  and  then  after  the  drawing  an  adjust- 
ment of  boundary  and  extent  was  made  accoixl- 
ing  to  the  populousness  of  the  tribe  to  wliich 
the  portion  fell.  Perhaps  this  scheme  of  adjust- 
ment is  indicated  in  ver.  54,  which  is  literally 
translated:  To  the  great  thou  shalt  extend  his 
inheritance  and  to  the  little  thou  shalt  diminish 
his  inheritance. 

57-62.  The  families  given  under  the  head  of 
the  tribe  of  Levi  do  not  comprise  all  the  families 
that  are  named  in  chap.  3,  perhaps  because  some 
of  them  became  extinct  or  were  incorporated 
with  other  families  of  the  tribe.  Of  the  families 
named,  the  Libnites  ( ver.  .sk)  belonged  to  Gershon, 
the  Hebronites  and  the  Korahites  to  Kohath,  and 
the  Mahlites  and  the  Mushites  to  Merari.  The 
Shimeites  (3  :  21)  were  ])erhaps  extinct  or  in- 
corporated with  the  Libnites,  and  the  Uzziclites 
(3  :  2")  may  in  like  manner  have  become  in- 
corporated with  some  other  family  of  Kohath. 
Very  likely  the  Izharites  {ih\A.)  were  now  all 
known  as  Korahites,  as  Korah  was  the  promi- 
nent son  of  Izhar.  As  for  the  Amramites,  these 


112 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


59  And  the  name  of  Amram's  wife  was  Jochebed, 
the  daughter  of  Levi,  whom  hei-  mother  bare  to  Levi 
in  Egypt :  and  she  bare  unto  Amram  Aaron  and 
Moses,  and  Miriam  their  sister. 

60  And  unto  Aaron  was  born  Nadab,  and  Abihu, 
Eleazar,  and  Ithamar. 

61  And  Nadab  and  Abihu  died,  when  they  offered 
strange  hre  before  the  Lord. 

62  And  those  that  were  numbered  of  them  were 
twenty  and  three  thousand,  all  males  from  a  month 
old  and  upward :  for  they  were  not  numbered 
among  the  children  of  Israel,  because  there  was  no 
inheritance  given  them  among  the  children  of 
Israel. 

63  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  by  Moses 
and  Eleazar  the  priest,  who  numbered  the  children 
of  Israel  in  the  plains  ot  Moab  by  Jordan  near 
Jericlio. 

64  But  among  these  there  was  not  a  man  of  them 
whom  Moses  and  Aaron  the  priest  numbered,  when 
they  numbered  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wil- 
derness of  Sinai. 

65  For  the  Lord  had  said  of  them.  They  shall 
surely  die  in  the  wilderness.  And  there  was  not 
left  a  man  of  them,  save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephuu- 
neh,  and  Joshua  the  sou  of  Nun. 


59  And  Kohath  begat  Amram.  And  the  name  of 
Amram's  wife  vvas  Jochebed,  the  daughter  of 
Levi,  who  was  born  to  Levi  in  Egypt :  and  she 
bare  unto  Amram  Aaron  and  Moses,  and  Miriam 

60  their  sister.    And  unto  Aaron  were  born  Nadab 

61  and  Abihu,  Eleazar  and  Ithamar.  And  Nadab 
and  Abihu  died,  when  they  offered  strange  fire 

62  before  the  Lord.  And  they  that  were  numbered 
of  them  were  twenty  and  three  thousand,  every 
male  from  a  month  old  and  upward :  for  they 
were  not  numbered  among  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, because  there  was  no  inheritance  given 
them  among  the  children  of  Israel. 

63  These  are  they  that  were  numbered  by  Moses 
and  Eleazar  the  priest;  who  numbered  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  the  Jor- 

64  dan  at  Jericho.  But  among  these  there  was  not 
a  man  of  them  that  were  numbered  by  Moses 
and  Aaron  the  priest;  who  numbered  the  chil- 

65  dren  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai.  For 
the  Lord  had  said  of  them,  They  shall  surely 
die  in  the  wilderness.  And  there  was  not  left  a 
man  of  them,  save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh, 
and  Joshua  the  sou  of  Nun. 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


1  THEN  came  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad,  the 
son  of  Hepher,  the  son  of  Gilead,  the  son  of  Ma- 
chir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  of  the  families  of  Manas- 
seh  the  son  of  Joseph  ;  and  these  are  the  names  of 
his  daughters:  Mahlah,  Noah,  and  Hoglah,  and 
Milcah,  and  Tirzah. 

2  And  they  stood  before  Moses,  and  before  Ele- 
azar the  priest,  and  before  the  princes  and  all  the 
congregation,  by  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  saying, 


1  THEN  drew  near  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad, 
the  son  of  Hepher,  the  son  of  Gilead,  the  son  of 
Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  of  the  families  of 
Manasseh  the  son  of  Joseph  :  and  these  are  the 
names  of  his  daughters;   Mahlah,  Noah,   and 

2  Hoglah.  and  Milcah,  and  Tirzah.  And  they 
stood  before  Moses,  and  before  Eleazar  the 
priest,  and  before  the  princes  and  all  the  con- 
gregation, at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting, 


are  accounted  for  in  ver.  59-61.  The  text  in 
ver,  59  is  perhaps  defective,  but  the  passive 
was  born,  as  in  R.  V.,  gives  the  right  sense. 
Jochebed  was  a  daughter  of  Levi  only  in 
the  sense  of  being  a  descendant,  as  three  cen- 
turies intervened  between  Levi  and  Amram. 
In  Exod.  6  :  20  she  is  called  her  husband's 
father's  sister.  The  Levites  were  numbered 
from  a  month  old  and  upward,  as  the  military 
age  had  no  significance  in  their  case.  They 
bear  a  very  small  proportion  to  the  other  tribes 
in  numbers,  both  here  and  in  chap.  3  (see  com. 
on  3 :  21-39) ;  and  they  have  made  an  increase 
since  the  numbering  in  Sinai  of  one  thousand, 
or  perhaps  more  correctly,  seven  hundred  (ver. 

62  ;    cf.  3  :  39  aud  note), 

63-65.  On  the  statement  that  Caleb  and 
Joshua  were  the  only  survivors,  at  the  second 
numbering,  of  the  generation  that  came  out  of 
Egypt  (ver.  65),  scc  com.  ou  14  :  26-38. 


Chap.  27.  The  daughters  op  Zelophe- 
had. Moses  warned  of  his  death.  Joshua 
his  SUCCESSOR.  1-5.  These  daughters  of  Zelo- 
phehad, whose  names  are  given  in  full  no  less 
than  three  times  in  this  book  (cf.  26 :  33 ;  36 :  11),  are 
the  occasion  of  peculiar  questions,  not  only  with 
reference  to  their  inheritance,  as  here,  but  a  lit- 
tle later  with  reference  to  their  marriage,  as  in 


chap.  36.  Their  father  was  dead ;  and  yet  the 
inheritance,  which  if  it  were  an  actual  reality 
would  naturally  be  in  their  possession,  consisted 
only  in  a  possible  right  to  a  share  in  a  future 
domain.  What  they  were  petitioning  for  was  a 
status  and  recognition  in  the  coming  allotment. 
The  estate  would  carry  with  it  the  right  to 
marry  a  husband  into  their  family  and  so  pre- 
serve the  name  (cf.  ver.  4),  instead  of  having  to 
marry  into  another  family  and  assume  the  name 
of  the  one  who  brought  the  estate.  It  Avas 
probably  through  being  made  an  heiress  by  her 
father's  act  that  the  daughter  of  Machir  the 
father  of  Gilead,  though  married  into  the  tribe 
of  Judah,  had  descendants  who  were  neverthe- 
less reckoned  as  Manassites  (see  1  Chron.  2  :  21,  seq.  ; 

Num.  32  :  41 ).  Shcshan  also,  who  had  no  son, 
married  his  Egyptian  servant  Jarha  into  his 
family  and  reckoned  the  posterity  as  of  his  own 
tribe  (i  chron.  2  :  34,  seq.).  But  in  the  case  of  these 
daughters  of  Zelophehad  the  father  was  not  liv- 
ing to  make  such  arrangements,  or  even  to  come 
into  possession  of  the  land  which  by  descend- 
ing to  them  might  give  them  a  legal  status. 

These  women  stood  before  Moses,  and 
before  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  before 
the  princes  and  all  the  congregation, 
by  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  (ver.  2), 
not,    perhaps,    because    all    these    had    been 


Ch.  XXVII.] 


NUMBERS 


113 


3  Our  father  died  in  the  wilderness,  and  he  was 
not  in  the  company  of  them  that  gathered  them- 
selves toj^ether  against  the  Lord  in  the  company  of 
Korah  ;  but  died  in  his  own  sin,  and  had  no  soiis. 

4  Why  should  the  name  of  our  father  be  done 
away  from  among  his  family,  because  he  hath  no 
son  ?  Give  unto  us  tkerefore  a  possession  among  the 
brethren  of  our  father. 

5  And  Moses  brought  their  cause  before  the  Lord. 

6  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

7  The  daughters  of  Zelophehad  speak  right :  thou 
shalt  surely  give  them  a  possession  of  an  inherit- 
ance among  their  father's  brethren  ;  and  thou  shalt 
cause  the  inheritance  of  their  father  to  pass  unto 
them. 

8  And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, saying.  If  a  man  die,  and  have  no  son,  then 
ye  shall  cause  his  inheritance  to  pass  unto  his 
daughter. 

9  And  if  he  have  no  daughter,  then  ye  shall  give 
his  inheritance  unfo  his  brethren. 

10  And  if  he  have  no  brethren,  then  ye  shall  give 
his  inheritance  unto  his  father's  brethren. 

11  And  if  his  father  have  no  brethren,  then  ye 
shall  give  his  inheritance  unto  his  kinsman  that  is 
next  to  him  of  his  family,  and  he  shall  possess  it : 
and  it  shall  be  unto  the  children  of  Israel  a  statute 
of  judgment,  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

12  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Get  thee  up 
into  this  mount  Abarim,  and  see  the  land  which  I 
have  given  unto  the  children  of  Israel. 


3  saying,  Our  father  died  in  the  wilderness,  and 
he  was  not  among  the  company  of  them  that 
gathered  tiiemselves  together  against  the  Lord 
in  the  company  of  Korah  :  but  he  died  in  his 

4  own  sin;  and  lie  had  no  sons.  Why  should  the 
name  of  our  father  be  taken  away  from  among 
his  family,  because  lie  had  no  sou?  Give  untt) 
us  a  possession  among  the  brethren  of  our  father. 

5  And    Moses    brought    their    cause    before    tlie 

6  Lord.     And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saving. 

7  The  daughters  of  Zelopliehad  speak  right :  "tliou 
shalt  surely  give  them  a  possession  of  an  in- 
heritance among  their  father's  brethren  ;  and 
thou  shult  cause  the  inheritance  of  their  father 

8  to  pass  unto  them.  And  thou  shalt  speak  unto 
the  cliildren  of  Israel,  saying,  If  a  man  die.  and 
have  no  son,  then  ye  sliail  cause  his  inheritance 

9  to  pass  unto  his  daughter.  And  if  he  have  no 
daughter,  then  ye  shall  give  his  Inheritance  unto 

10  his  brethren.  And  if  he  have  no  brethren,  then 
ye  shall  give  his  inheritance  unto  his  father's 

11  bretliren.  And  if  his  father  have  no  brethren, 
then  ye  shall  give  his  inheritance  unto  his  kins- 
man that  is  next  to  him  of  his  family,  and  he 
shall  possess  it:  and  it  shall  be  unto  the  children 
of  Israel  a  statute  of  judgement,  as  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses. 

12  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Get  thee  up  into 
this  mountain  of  Abarim,  and  behold  the  land 
which  I  have  given  unto  the  children  of  Israel. 


assembled  in  order  to  hear  their  plea,  but  rather 
because  the  enumeration  was  in  progress  at  the 
nation's  headquarters.  In  connection  with  the 
census  there  was  no  doubt  a  sort  of  court  hold- 
ing its  sittings  in  order  to  inquire  into  and  de- 
cide cases  of  dispute  or  uncertainty  arising 
throughout  the  tribes.  The  daughters  of  Ze- 
lophehad made  the  plea  that  there  was  no 
reason  why  any  punishment  or  deprivation  of 
privilege  should  descend  to  them,  as  their  father 
was  not  one  of  the  company  of  Korah  (ver.  3 ; 
cf.  16  :  2, 35).  It  has  already  been  pointed  out  (see 
on  16  : 1-3)  that  we  have  here  an  indication  that 
Korah's  company  was  not  solely  Levitical,  but 
was  recruited  from  the  various  tribes.  The 
noticeable  expression  is  used,  but  died  in  his 
own  sin,  as  if  the  sin  into  which  a  person  or 
company  was  led  through  the  overpowering  in- 
fluence of  a  leader  became  to  some  degree  that 
leader's  sin;  while  by  "his  own  sin,"  for  which 
his  death  was  the  penalty,  was  doubtless  meant 
his  share  in  the  sin  of  the  whole  nation  at 
Kadesh,  in  consequence  of  which  all  that  gen- 
eration was  sentenced  to  die  in  the  wilderness 
(u  :  28-35 ;  26  :  64,  65).  The  request  of  the  women 
was  that  in  the  allotment  of  Canaan  they  might 
represent  their  father  as  co-ordinate  with  his 
brothers  (ver.  4).  As  in  other  instances  of  enact- 
ments arising  out  of  specific  cases  (c  Lev.  24 :  12 ; 
Num.  15 :  zi) ^  Moscs  deferred  the  decision  until  he 
could  bring  the  case  before  Jehovah  (ver.  5), 

6-11.  In  this  section  ver.  6,  7  give  the  answer 
applying  to  the  specific  case  of  the  daughters  of 
Zelophehad,  while  the  rest  of  the  paragraph, 


starting  with  a  new  introduction  (ver.  8)^  gives 
the  permanent  law  regulating  the  descent  of 
property  in  case  there  are  no  sons  or  direct 
heirs.  The  decision  regarding  the  petitioners 
was  that  their  proposal  was  reasonable,  and 
that  they  should  have  a  possession  among  their 
father's  brethren  which  should  come  to  them  as 
an  inheritance  from  their  father  (ver.  7).  As  for 
the  rule  of  inheritance  in  general,  the  order  of 
descent  should  be:  (1)  son,  (2)  daughter,  (3) 
brothers,  (4)  father's  brothers,  (5)  nearest  kin. 
This  was  to  be  unto  the  children  of  Israel 
a  statute  of  judgment  (ver.  11),  /.  e.,  a  statute 
determining  natural  right  in  distinction  from 
the  will  of  the  testator  which  is  assumed  to  be 
not  on  record. 

12-14.  Moses  is  now  directed  to  ascend  the 
mountain  of  Abarim  for  a  final  view  of  the 
Promised  Land;  but  the  actual  obeying  of  the 
command  and  the  death  of  the  lawgiver  are  not 
narrated  until  Deut.  34.  This  .same  command  is 
repeated  in  Deut.  32 :  48-52,  and  the  day  on  which 
it  was  uttered  is  specified  as  the  selfsame  day  on 
which  Moses  made  an  end  of  speaking  to  the 
people  the  words  of  his  farewell  song.  It  seems 
to  be  introduced  out  of  its  connection  here  in 
Numbers.  The  mountain  of  Abarim  (ver.  12),  of 
which  Nebo,  or  the  "  head  of  Pisgah"  (23 :  u; 
Deut.  34  :  i)j  was  but  a  particular  headland,  was 
the  whole  range  of  blufts  or  promontories  along 
the  further  side  (Abarim,  "  Further  Regions") 
of  Jordan  from  western  Palestine.  Although 
very  steep  and  abrupt  on  the  side  next  to  the 
Jordan  Valley,  this  Abarim  range  was  more  of  a 


H 


114 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXVII. 


13  And  when  thou  hast  seen  it,  thou  also  shaltbe 
gathered  unto  thy  people,  as  Aaron  tliy  brother  was 
gathered. 

14  For  ye  rebelled  against  my  commandment  in 
the  desert  of  Zin,  in  the  strife  of  the  congregation, 
to  sanctify  me  at  the  water  before  their  eyes  :  that 
is  the  water  of  Meribah  in  Kadesh  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Zin. 

15  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  Lord,  saying, 

16  Let  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh, 
set  a  man  over  the  congregation, 

17  Which  may  go  out  before  them,  and  which 
may  go  in  before  them,  and  which  may  lead  them 
out,  and  which  may  bring  them  in  ;  that  the  con- 
gregation of  the  Lc^rd  be  not  as  sheep  which  have 
no  shepherd. 

18  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  thee 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  a  man  in  whom  is  the 
spirit,  and  lay  thine  hand  upon  him  ; 

19  And  set"  him  before  Eleazar  the  priest,  and 
before  all  the  congregation  ;  and  give  him  a  charge 
in  their  sight. 

20  And  thou  shalt  put  some  of  thine  honour  upon 
him,  that  all  the  congregation  of  the  children  of 
Israel  may  be  obedient. 

21  And  "he  shall  stand  before  Eleazar  the  priest, 
who  shall  ask  counsel  for  him  after  the  judgment  of 
Urim  before  the  Lord  :  at  his  word  shall  they  go 
out,  and  at  his  word  they  shall  comc)  in,  both  he, 
and  all  the  children  of  Israel  with  him,  even  all 
the  congregation. 


13  And  when  thou  hast  seen  it,  thou  also  shalt  be 
gathered  unto  thy  people,  as  Aaron  thy  brother 

14  was  gathered  :  because  ye  rebelled  against  my 
word  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  iu  thestiifeof  the 
congregation,  to  sanctify  me  at  the  waters  before 
their  eyes.     (These  are  the  waters  of  Meribah  of 

15  Kadesh  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin.)    And  Moses 

16  spake  unto  the  Lord,  saying.  Let  the  Lord,  the 
God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  appoint  a  man 

17  over  the  congregation,  which  may  go  out  before 
them,  and  which  may  come  in  before  them,  and 
which  may  lead  tliem  out,  and  which  may  bring 
them  in  ;  that  the  congregation  of  tlie  Lord  be 

18  not  as  sheep  which  have  no  shepherd.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  thee  Joshua  the  son 
of  Nun,  a  man  in  whom  is  the  spirit,  and  lay 

19  thine  hand  upon  him  ;  and  set  him  before  Ele- 
azar the  priest,  and  before  all  tlie  congregation ; 

20  and  give  him  a  charge  in  their  sigiit.  And  thou 
shalt  put  of  thine  honour  upon  him,  that  all  the 
congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel  may  obey. 

21  And  he  shall  stand  before  Eleazar  thepriest, 
who  shall  inquire  for  him  by  the  judgement  of 
the  Urim  before  the  Loi-d  :  at  his  word  shall  they 
go  out,  and  at  his  woi'd  they  shall  come  in,  both 
he,  and  all  the  children  of  Israel  with  him,  even 


platform  than  a  series  of  peaks,  forming  the  steep 
western  edge  of  the  table-land  of  Moab,  and 
looking  down  on  Jeshimon  or  the  wilderness  of 
Judah.  It  was  on  this  same  headland  of  Pisgah 
that  Balaam  delivered  his  second  discourse  (23 : 
1*).  Moses  is  warned  that,  after  being  granted 
that  grateful  bird's-eye  view,  he  shall  be  gath- 
ered to  his  people,  as  Aaron  his  brother  was 
gathered  (ver.  13 ;  cf.  20  :  23-29).  He  is  reminded 
of  the  reason  why  he  is  excluded  from  entrance 
on  the  promised  possession  (ver.  14) ;  he  rebelled 
against  Jehovah's  word,  or  mo\Lth,  which  was 
that  he  should  sanctify  Jehovah  before  the 
people.  On  the  sin  of  Moses  at  that  time,  see 
comment  on  20  :  2-13.  The  last  sentence  of  ver. 
14,  rightly  put  in  parenthesis  in  the  R,  V.,  was 
probably  inserted  by  the  writer  or  some  later 
redactor  as  an  explanatory  gloss. 

15-23*  It  was  natural  that  the  great  man  on 
whom  the  whole  burden  of  the  nation  had  rested 
all  his  life,  and  who  had  sometimes  felt  that 
the  care  of  the  congregation  was  like  that  of  a 
crowd  of  infants  (cf.  11  :  11,  12,  aud  note)^  should  be 
anxious  regarding  the  future  of  that  helpless 
flock.  In  the  imagery  of  his  old  shepherd  days 
he  prays  that  they  may  not  be  left  like  wander- 
ing sheep,  but  may  have  one  to  lead  them  out 
and  bring  them  in  (ver.  17).  It  is  to  Jehovah  as 
the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh — a  name 
by  which  he  has  designated  him  on  a  former 
occasion  (16  :  22) — that  he  looks  for  the  supply- 
ing of  this  great  need,  for  it  is  the  true  spirit  for 
a  leader  of  the  people  which  must  be  provided  ; 
and  Moses  perhaps  has  failed  to  recognize  just 


such  a  spirit  as  his  zeal  w^ould  entrust  the  people 
to,  even  in  Joshua.  Joshua  was  a  very  different 
man  from  Moses,  and  he  was  to  have  a  very  dif- 
ferent work  to  accomplish  with  the  people.  It 
would  be  strange  if  Moses  at  his  advanced  age 
should  fully  enter  into  the  new  order  of  things. 
But  Jehovah  assures  him  that  Joshua  is  a  man 
in  whom  is  the  spirit  (ver.  is).  He  is  to  take 
him  and  by  a  formal  and  public  investiture 
transfer  to  him  his  authority  and  something  of 
his  honour  (ver.  20) — so  far  as  this  inheres  in 
his  position  as  distinguished  from  his  private 
character — so  that  through  the  prestige  of  his 
indorsement  Joshua  may  command  the  people's 
obedience.  In  Deut.  34  :  9  it  is  said  that  Joshua 
was  full  of  the  spirit  of  wisdom,  "  for  Moses  had 
laid  his  hands  upon  him  " — the  investiture  and 
its  consequent  sense  of  responsibility  no  doubt 
bringing  out  that  great  general's  latent  qualities 
as  a  leader.  The  successor  of  Moses,  however, 
did  not  take  over  all  the  endowments  and  func- 
tions of  his  great  predecessor.  It  was  the  unique 
power  and  privilege  of  Moses  to  be  at  once 
commander  and  prophet  "  whom  Jehovah  knew 
face  to  face"  (Deut.  34  :  10).  Henceforth,  for 
the  present  at  least,  the  secular  commander  is 
to  seek  divine  guidance  at  the  hands  of  the 
priest.  He  shall  stand  before  £leazar 
the  priest  (ver.  21)^  and  in  all  matters  of  super- 
natural guidance  shall  be  dependent  on  the 
judgment  of  Urim  (cf.  Exod.  28  .-  so),  that  form 
of  sacred  divination  or  lot,  no  longer  under- 
stood, which  was  iu  use  at  least  down  to  the 

time  of  David    (see   1   Sam.   22  :  13,  15;   23  :  2,  4,  9-12), 


Ch.  XXVIII.] 


NUMBERS 


115 


22  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord  commanded  him  : 
and  he  took  Joshua,  and  set  him  before  Eleazar  tlie 
priest,  and  before  all  the  cony:regation : 

23  And  he  laid  his  hands  upon  him,  and  gave 
him  a  charge,  as  the  Lord  commanded  by  the  liand 
of  Moses. 


22  all  the  congregation.  And  Moses  did  as  the  Lord 
commanded  him  :  and  he  took  Joshua,  and  set 
him  before  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  before  all  the 

23  congregation:  and  he  laid  his  hands  upon  liim, 
and  gave  him  a  cliarge,  as  the  Lord  spake  by  the 
hand  of  Moses. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them.  My  oifering,  a7id  my  bread  for  my  sacrihces 
made  by  fire,/o/'  a  sweet  savour  unto  me,  shall  ye 
observe  to  offer  unto  me  in  their  due  season. 

3  And  thou  shalt  say  unto  them,  This  is  the  offer- 
ing made  by  fire  which  ye  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord  ; 
two  lambs  of  the  first  year  without  spot  day  by  day, 
for  a  continual  burnt  offering. 

■i  The  one  iamb  shalt  thou  offer  in  the  morning, 
and  the  other  lamb  shalt  thou  offer  at  even  ; 

5  And  a  tenth  pari  of  an  ephah  of  fiour  for  a  meat 
offering,  mingled  with  the  fourth  part  of  an  hin  of 
beaten  oil. 

6  It  is  a  continual  burnt  offering,  which  was  or- 
dained in  mount  Sinai  for  a  sweet  savour,  a  sacri- 
fice made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 

7  And  the  drink  offering  thereof  shall  be  the 
fourth  part  of  an  hin  for  the  one  lamb  :  in  the  holy 
place  shalt  thou  cause  the  strong  wine  to  be  poured 
unto  the  Lord /or  a  drink  offering. 


1  AND   the    Lord    spake   unto    Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unUj 
them,  My  oblation,  my  food  for  my  offerings 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  me,  shall 
ye  observe  to  oiler  unto  me  in  their  due  sea,son. 

3  And  thou  shalt  say  unto  them.  This  is  the  offer- 
ing made  by  tire  which  ye  shall  offer  unto  tlie 
Lord  ;  he-lambs  of  the  first  year  wiiliout  bk-m- 
ish,  two  day  by  day,  for  a  continual  bui  nt  offer- 

4  ing.  The  one  lamb  shalt  thou  offer  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  the  otlier  lamb  shalt  tiiou  offer  at  even  ; 

5  and  the  tenth  part  (jf  an  ephali  of  line  Hour  for 
a  meal  olfering,  mingled  with  tiie  fourth  part  of 

6  an  hin  of  beaten  oil.  It  is  a  eontinual  burnt 
offering,  which  v/as  ordained  in  mount  l^^iiiai 
for  a  sweet  savour,  an  offering  made  bv  lire  unto 

7  the  Lord.  And  the  drink  olYL-ring  theVeof  shall 
be  the  fourth  part  of  an  hin  for  the  one  lamb: 
in  the  holy  place  shalt  thou  pour  out  a  drink 


Joshua  had  little  of  the  prophet  in  him,  and 
indeed  was  not  of  a  temperament  to  understand 
the  prophetic  genius  (see  on  ii  :  23-35) ;  and  per- 
haps even  in  seeking  priestly  divine  counsel  he 
became  somewhat  neglectful  of  his  guides,  at 
least  in  his  treaty  with  the  Gibeonites  (see  josh. 
9  :  3,  seq. ).  Moscs  Carried  out  the  instructions  of 
Jehovah  and  gave  Joshua  a  public  charge  before 
Eleazar  and  all  the  people  (ver.  22, 23). 


Chap.  28,  29.    The   public  sacrifices 

FOR    THE    SACRED    YEAR.       28  :  1-8.     1.    The 

continual  hnrnt  offering.  The  first  and  second 
verses  are  a  sort  of  title  or  general  command- 
ment covering  all  the  specific  arrangements 
which  are  given  in  detail  in  what  follows.  The 
terms  are  a  sort  of  generic  description  of  the 
offering  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Divine  ac- 
ceptance, and  thus  used  they  express  the  popu- 
lar theory  of  sacrifice  in  general,  which  is  that 
of  ministering  to  Jehovah's  pleasure,  as  one 
ministers  to  the  sensual  enjoyment  of  a  superior. 
Literally,  the  expression  of  the  divine  aspect  of 
sacrifice  is  as  follows  (ver.  2) :  "  My  offering,  my 
food  for  my  fire  offeri  ng,  my  pleasurable  smell,  ye 
shall  observe  to  bring  to  me  in  its  season."  This 
continual  burnt  offering,  as  is  indicated  in 
ver.  6,  was  ordained,  iia  mount  Sinai,  and 
we  have  the  command  recorded  in  Exod.  29  :  38, 
seq.  It  constitutes  the  daily  service  maintained 
at  the  public  expense  for  the  benefit  of  all  the 
people.  The  details  given  here  are  precisely 
the  same  as  in  Exodus,  with  the  noteworthy 
addition  in  ver.  7,  appended  as  an  emphatic 
summary :  In  the  holy  place  shalt  thoio  pour 


out  a  drink  offering  of  strong  drink  unto  Jeho- 
vah. The  drink  offering  is  never  very  dis- 
tinctly described  in  the  Pentateuch  and  seema 
to  be  assumed  as  well  known  rather  than  spe- 
cifically defined.  The  direction  here  that  it  is 
to  be  poured  out  in  the  holy  place  is  some- 
what puzzling,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  it  was  not  allowed  upon  the  altar  of  incense 
(Exod.  30  :  9).  From  this  special  prohibition  .«;ome 
have  inferred  by  antithesis  that  it  was  poured 
upon  the  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  burnt  offering, 
but  this  was  not  strictly  "  in  the  holy  place  " 
but  in  the  court.  Others  infer  from  Ecclus. 
50  :  15  that  it  was  poured  around  the  foot  of  the 
altar.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  vessels  for 
pouring  the  libation  were  a  part  of  tlie  furniture 
of  the  table  of  shewbread  "  in  the  holy  place  " 
(.see  E.xod.  25  :  29),  The  Word  tran.slatcd  strong 
Avine  in  A.  V.,  but  more  correctly  strong  drink 
in  R.  v.,  is  always  used  distinctively  of  other 
strong  liquors  than  wine,  though  there  is  never 
elsewhere  any  hint  of  the  use  of  strong  drink  in 
the  sacrifices.  The  term  is  perhaps  used  here 
generically,  in  accordance  with  the  apparent 
characteristic  of  this  paragrapli  (cf.  ver.  a),  of  all 
strong  drink,  including  wine,  as  distinguished 
from  water,  thus  characterizing  the  drink  offer- 
ing, from  the  theoretical  standpoint  of  the 
Divine  pleasure,  as  "Jehovah's  strong  drink." 
The  two  lambs,  with  their  accompanying  meal 
and  drink  offerings,  were  to  be  oll'ered,  the  one 
in  the  morning  and  the  other  "  between  the  two 
evenings"  (ver.  4),  i.  e.,  between  the  beginning 
of  twilight  and  dark,  as  Jehovah's  odor  of 
pleasantness. 


116 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXVIII. 


8  And  the  other  lamb  shalt  thou  offer  at  even :  as 
the  meatoffering  of  the  morning,  and  as  the  drink 
offering  thereof,  thou  shalt  offer  it,  a  sacrifice  made 
by  tire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unlo  the  Lord. 

9  And  on  the  sabbath  day  two  lambs  of  the  first 
year  without  spot,  and  two  tenth  deals  of  flour  for 
a  meat  offering,  mingled  with  oil,  and  the  drink 
offering  thereof : 

10  This  is  the  burnt  offering  of  every  sabbath,  be- 
side the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  his  drink 
offering. 

11  And  in  the  beginnings  of  your  months  ye  shall 
offer  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord ;  two  young 
bullocks,  and  one  ram,  seven  lambs  of  the  first 
year  v^^ithout  spot ; 

12  And  three  tenth  deals  of  flour /or  a  meat  offer- 
ing, mingled  with  oil,  for  one  bullock ;  and  two 
tenth  deals  of  flour  for  a  meat  offering,  mingled 
with  oil,  for  one  ram  ; 

13  And  a  several  tenth  deal  of  flour  mingled 
with  oil  for  a  meat  offering  unto  one  lamb  ;  for  a 
burnt  offering  of  a  sweet  savour,  a  sacrifice  made 
by  tire  unto  the  Lord. 

14  And  their  drink  offerings  shall  be  half  an  hin 
of  wine  unto  a  bullock,  and  the  thiid  part  of  an 
hin  unto  a  ram,  and  a  fourth  pcirt  of  an  hin  unto  a 
lamb :  this  is  the  burnt  offering  of  every  month 
throughout  the  mouths  of  the  year. 

15  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering 
unto  the  Lord  shall  be  ottered,  beside  the  continual 
burnt  offering,  and  his  drink  offering. 

16  And  in  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month 
is  the  passover  of  the  Lord. 

17  And  in  the  fifteenth  day  of  this  month  js  the 
feast:  seven  days  shall  unleavened  bread  be  eaten. 

18  In  the  first  day  shall  be  an  holy  convocation  ; 
ye  shall  do  no  manner  of  servile  work  therein: 

19  But  ye  shall  offer  a  sacrifice  made  by  fire /or  a 
burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord  ;  two  young  bullocks, 
and  one  ram,  and  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year: 
they  shall  be  unto  vou  without  blemish  : 

20  And  their  meat  offering  shall  be  of  flour  mingled 
with  oil :  three  tenth  deals  shall  ye  offer  for  a  bul- 
lock, and  two  tenth  deals  for  a  ram  ; 

21  A  several  tenth  deal  shalt  thou  offer  for  every 
lamb,  throughout  the  seven  lambs  : 

22  And  one  goat /or  a  sin  offering,  to  make  an 
atonement  for  vou. 

23  Ye  shall  offer  these  beside  the  burnt  offering  in 
the  morning,  which  ts  for  a  continual  burnt  offering. 

24  After  this  manner  ye  shall  offer  daily,  through- 
out the  seven  days,  the  meat  of  the  sacrifice  made 
bv  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  :  it  shall  be 
offered  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  his 
drink  offering. 

25  And  on  the  seventh  day  ye  shall  have  an  holy 
convocation ;  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work. 


9,10.  2.  The  offering  for  the  Sabbath.  The 
offering  for  the  Sabbath  is  simply  a  doubling  of 
the  daily  burnt  offering  with  its  accompanying 
subsidiary  offerings. 

11-15.  3.  The  beginning  of  the  month.  The 
beginning  of  the  month,  or  new  moon,  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  as  a  time  of  special  observ- 
ance   (see  1  Sam.  20  :  5  ;    2  Kings  4  :  23  ;   Isa.  1  :  13) ^   and 

from  Ezekiel  onward  it  appears  to  be  an  occa- 
sion of  special  public  sacrifice  (Ezek.  45  :  it  ;  46  :  6, 

seq.,  etc.).  The  specific  offerings  are  the  same  as 
for  each  of  the  seven  days  of  Mazzoth  and  for 
the  day  of  first-fruits.  To  be  noted  is  the  bring- 
ing of  a  shaggy  goat  for  a  sin  offering  (ver.  15) 
in  addition  to  the  purely  homage  offerings  of 
which  the  bulk  of  the  festival  consists. 
16-25.    4.  Passover  and  Mazzoth.    ThePass- 


8  offering  of  strong  drink  unto  the  Lord.  And  the 
other  lamb  shalt  thou  offer  at  even  :  as  the  meal 
offering  of  the  morning,  and  as  the  drink  offer- 
ing thereof,  thou  shalt  offer  it,  an  offering  made 
by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord. 

9  And  on  the  sabbath  day  two  he-lambs  of  the 
first  year  without  blemish,  and  two  tenth  parts 
of  ah  cphah  of  fine  flour  for  a  meal  offering, 
mingled  with  oil,  and  the  drink  offering  thereof : 

10  this  is  the  burnt  offering  of  every  sabbath,  be- 
side the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  the  drink 
offering  thereof. 

11  And  in  the  beginnings  of  j'our  months  ye  shall 
offer  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord  ;  two  young 
bullocks,  and  one  ram,  seven  he-lambs  of  the  first 

12  year  without  blemish  ;  and  three  tenth  parts  uf 
an  ephah  of  fine  flour  for  a  meal  offering,  mingled 
with  oil,  for  each  bullock;  and  two  tenth  parts 
of  fine  flour  for  a  meal  offering,  mingled  with 

13  oil,  for  the  one  ram  ;  and  a  several  tentli  part  of 
fine  flour  mingled  with  oil  for  a  meal  offering 
unto  every  lamb ;  for  a  burnt  offering  of  a  sweet 
savour,  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord, 

14  And  their  drink  offerings  shall  be  half  an  hin  of 
wine  for  a  bullock,  and  the  third  part  of  an  hin 
for  the  ram,  and  the  fourth  part  of  an  hin  for  a 
lamb  :  this  is  the  burnt  offering  of  every  month 

15  throughout  the  months  of  the  year.  And  one 
he-g( at  for  a  sin  ottering  unto  the  Lord  ;  it  jhall 
be  offered  beside  tiie  continual  burnt  offering, 
and  the  drink  offering  thereof. 

16  And  in  the  first  month,  on  the  fourteenth  day 

17  of  the  month,  is  the  Lord's  passover.  And  on 
the  fifteenth  day  of  this  month  shall  be  a  feast: 

18  seven  days  shall  unleavened  bread  be  eaten.  In 
the  first  "day  shall  be  an  holy  convocation  ;  ye 

19  shall  do  no  servile  work  :  but  ye  shall  off'er  an 
oft"ering  made  by  fire,  a  burnt  offering  unto  the 
Lord  ;  two  yc  ung  bullocks,  and  one  ram,  and 
seven  he-himbs  of  the  first  year:  they  shall  be 

20  unto  you  without  blemish  :  and  their  meal  offer- 
ing, fine  flour  mingled  with  oil:  three  tenth 
parts  shall  ye  oft'er  for  a  bullock,  and  two  tenth 

21  parts  for  the  ram  ;  a  several  tenth  part  shalt  thou 

22  <  ffer  for  every  lamb  of  the  seven  lambs;  and 
one  he-goat  for  a  sin  offering,  to  make  atonement 

23  for  you.  Ye  shall  offer  these  beside  the  burnt 
offering  of  the  morning,  which  is  for  a  continual 

24  1  urnt  offering.  After  this  manner  ye  shall  offer 
daily,  for  seven  days,  the  food  of  the  offering 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  : 
it  shall  be  offered  beside  the  continual  burnt 

25  ofTering,  and  the  drink  offering  thereof.  And 
on  the  seventh  day  ye  shall  have  an  holy  con- 
vocation ;  ye  shall  do"  no  servile  work. 


over  is  simply  named,  its  manner  of  observance 
being  assumed  as  well  known.  The  details  of 
the  feast  are  prescribed  in  connection  with  the 
account  of  the  departure  from  Egypt  (Exod.  12  : 
i-H).  In  the  list  of  the  set  feasts  given  in  Le- 
viticus the  Passover  is  merely  mentioned  as 
here,  while  the  principal  emphasis  seems  to  be 
laid  upon  the  seven  days  of  Mazzoth  in  imme- 
diate connection  with  it  which,  besides  the  ab- 
sence of  leaven,  are  to  be  marked  by  special 
burnt  offerings  on  each  day  (Lev.  23  : 5-8),  The 
details  of  these  burnt  offerings  are  given  here. 
Each  day's  offering  is  to  be  the  same  as  the 
offering  for  the  new  moon  festival,  including 
the  daily  sin  offering  of  the  goat.  All  this  is  to 
be  in  addition  to  the  continual  burnt  offering 
with  its  subsidiary  offerings  (ver.  24). 


Ch.  XXIX.] 


NUMBERS 


117 


26  Also  in  the  day  of  the  firstfruits,  when  ye  bring 
a  new  meat  offering  unto  the  Lord,  after  your  weeks 
be  out,  ye  shall  have  an  holy  convocation ;  ye  shall 
do  no  servile  work  : 

27  But  ye  .shall  offer  the  burnt  offering  for  a  sweet 
savour  unto  the  Lord ;  two  young  bullocks,  one 
ram,  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year; 

28  And  their  meat  offering  of  flour  mingled  with 
oil,  three  tenth  deals  unto  one  bullock,  two  tenth 
deals  unto  one  ram, 

29  A  several  tenth  deal  unto  one  lamb,  through- 
out the  seven  lambs ; 

30  And  one  kid  of  the  goats,  to  make  an  atone- 
ment for  you. 

31  Ye  shall  offer  them  beside  the  continual  burnt 
offering,  and  his  meat  offering,  (they  shall  be  unto 
you  without  blemish)  and  their  drink  offerings. 


26  Also  in  the  day  of  the  firstfruits,  when  ve  offer 
a  new  meal  offering  unto  the  Lord  in  yonrj'cafl 
0/ weeks,  ye  sliall  have  an  holy  convocation  ;  ye 

27  shall  do  no  servile  work  :  but  ye  sliall  offer  a 
burnt  offering  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  ; 
two  young  bullocks,  one  raui,  seven  he-lambs  oi 

28  the  first  year  ;  and  their  meal  offering,  tine  Hour 
mingled  with  oil,  three  tenth  parts  for  each  bul- 

29  lock,  two  tenth  parts  for  the  one  ram,  a  several 
tenth  part  for  eveiy  lamb  of  the  seven  lambs; 

30  one    he-goat,     to    make    atonement    for    you. 

31  Beside  the  continual  burnt  olferiug,  and  the 
meal  offering  thereof,  ye  shall  offer  them  (thev 
shall  be  unto  you  without  blemish),  and  their 
drink  offerings. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 


1  AND  in  the  seventh  month,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  month,  ye  shall  have  an  holy  convocation  ;  ye 
shall  do  no  servile  work  :  it  is  a  day  of  blowing  the 
trumpets  unto  you. 

2  And  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering  for  a  sweet 
savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  one  young  bullock,  one  ram, 
and  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year  without  blemish  : 

3  And  their  meatoffering  shall  be  o/ flour  mingled 
with  oil,  three  tenth  deals  for  a  bullock,  a7id  two 
tenth  deals  for  a  ram, 

4  And  one  tenth  deal  for  one  lamb,  throughout 
the  seven  lambs : 

5  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering,  to 
make  an  atonement  for  you  : 

6  Beside  the  burnt  offering  of  the  month,  and  his 
meat  offering,  and  the  daily  burnt  offering,  and  his 
meat  offering,  and  their  drink  offerings,  according 
unto  their  manner,  for  a  sweet  savour,  a  sacrifice 
made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 


1  AND  in  the  seventh  month,  on  the  first  day  of 
the  month,  ye  shall  have  an  holy  convocation  ; 
ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  :  it  is  a  day  of  blow- 

2  ing  of  trumpets  unto  you.  And  ye  shall  offer  a 
burnt  offering  for  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  : 
one  young  bullock,  one  ram,  seven  he-lambs  oi 

3  the  first  year  without  blemish  :  and  their  meal 
offering,  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  three  tenth 
parts  for  the  bullock,  two  tenth  parts  for  the 

4  ram,  and  one  tenth  part  for  every  Jamb  of  the 

5  seven  lambs:  and  one  he-goat  for  a  sin  offernig, 

6  to  make  atonement  for  you :  beside  the  burnt 
offering  of  the  new  moon,  and  tlie  meal  offering 
thereof,  and  the  continual  l>urnt  offering  and 
the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings, according  unto  their  ordinance,  for  a  sweet 
savour,  an  offering  made  by  fire  unto  the  Lord. 


26-31.  5.  Day  of  first-fruits.  This  festival 
is  named  the  day  of  first-fruits  only  here;  in 
Lev.  23  :  15,  seq.,  it  is  introduced  without  a 
name,  but  from  the  fact  of  its  occurring  seven 
weeks,  or  on  the  fiftieth  day,  after  a  particular 

date    (see  "  Com.  on  Leviticus,"  23  :  15-21)  ^  it  haS  COme 

to  be  known  as  the  feast  of  weeks,  or  Pentecost. 
The  sacrifices  for  the  occasion  are  there  pre- 
scribed, and  they  correspond  in  the  main  with 
those  prescribed  here,  which  are  the  same  as  for 
the  new  moons  and  for  each  of  the  days  of  Maz- 
zoth.  A  curious  variation  is  that  while  here  the 
requirement  is  two  young  bullocks  and  one  ram 
(ver.  27),  in  Leviticus  (23 :  18)  it  is  one  young  bul- 
lock and  two  rams.  The  directions  in  that  book 
also  add  two  he  lambs  a  year  old  for  a  sacrifice 
of  peace  ofierings  (iwd.,  ver.  19). 


Chap.  29.  This  chapter  is  entirely  occupied 
with  the  offerings  for  the  seventh  month,  in- 
cluding the  feast  of  trumpet  blowing  with  which 
the  month  was  ushered  in,  the  great  Day  of 
Atonement,  and  the  feast  of  Booths,  the  culmi- 
nating festival  of  the  year.  These  festivals  are 
commanded  in  Lev.  23  and  partially  described, 
but  the  chapter  before  us  is  concerned  simply 
with  the  offerings  to  be  made  on  those  occasions. 
The  covenant  number  seven  seems  to  be  given 
unusual  emphasis  in  this  chapter,  in  that  the 


seventh  month  is  made  the  culmination  of  the 
year,  the  whole  number  of  bullocks  offered  at 
the  feast  of  Booths  is  seventy,  the  diminishing 
series  being  so  arranged  that  the  number  seven 
falls  on  the  seventh  day,  and  the  festival  itself, 
aside  from  its  ri*iy^,  'atzereth,  or  supplemental 
day,  is  a  seven-day  feast. 

1-6.  Q.  Feast  of  trumpet  hlounng.  This  fes- 
tival as  a  holy  convocation  is  prescribed  in  Lev. 
23  :  23-25.  The  sacrifices  for  the  day,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  monthly  new  moon  offering  (ver.  6) 
and  the  daily  burnt  offering,  were  ahnnst  iden- 
tical with  those  for  the  new  moon  festival,  the 
only  difference  being  that  one  young  bullock 
was  used  instead  of  two  (ver.  2;  cf.  28  :  11).  So 
just  as  the  offl-ring  for  the  Sabbath  was  a  dou- 
bling of  the  daily  .sacrifice  (28  :  9),  so  the  offering 
for  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  month  was 
almost  a  doubling  of  the  new  moon  offering  for 
each  month.  It  may  be  noted  that  wliile  in 
chap.  28  three  different  festivals — the  new  moon, 
each  day  of  Mazzoth,  and  the  day  of  first-fruits 
— were  celebrated  each  with  two  young  bul- 
locks, one  ram,  and  .seven  lambs,  in  this  chapter 
three  festivals — the  day  of  trumpet  blowing,  the 
Day  of  Atonement,  and  the  'atzereth,  or  supple- 
ment to  the  feast  of  Booths — are  characterized 
each  l)y  the  same  system  of  offerings  with  the 
lack  of  one  bullock. 


118 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXIX. 


7  And  ye  shall  have  on  the  tenth  day  of  this  sev- 
enth month  an  holy  convocation ;  and  ye  shall 
afflict  your  souls :  ye  shall  not  do  any  work  therein: 

8  But  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering  unto  the  Lord 
for  a  sweet  savour ;  one  young  bullock,  one  ram, 
and  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year ;  they  shall  be 
unto  you  without  blemish  : 

9  And  their  meat  offering  shall  he  of  flour  mingled 
with  oil,  three  tenth  deals  to  a  bullock,  and  two 
tenth  deals  to  one  ram, 

10  A  several  tenth  deal  for  one  lamb,  throughout 
the  seven  lambs : 

11  One  kid  of  the  goats /or  a  sin  offering  ;  beside 
the  sin  offering  of  atonement,  and  the  continual 
burnt  offering,  and  the  meat  offering  of  it,  and 
their  drink  offerings. 

12  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month 
ye  shall  have  an  holy  convocation  ;  ye  shall  do  no 
servile  work,  and  ye  shall  keep  a  feast  unto  the 
Lord  seven  days : 

13  And  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering,  a  sacrifice 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord ; 
thirteen  young  bullocks,  two  rams,  and  fouiteen 
lambs  of  the  first  year;  they  shall  be  without 
blemish : 

14  And  their  meat  offering  shall  be  of  flour  mingled 
with  oil,  three  tenth  deals  unto  every  bullock  of 
the  thirteen  bullocks,  two  tenth  deals  to  each  ram 
of  the  two  rams, 

15  And  a  several  tenth  deal  to  each  lamb  of  the 
fourteen  lambs : 

l(j  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering ; 
beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  his  meat  offer- 
ing, and  his  drink  offering. 

17  And  on  the  second  day  ye  shall  offer  twelve 
young  bullocks,  two  rams,  fourteen  lambs  of  the 
first  year  without  spot : 

18  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the 
lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 
manner: 

19  And  one  kid  of  the  goats /or  a  sin  offering; 
beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  the  meat 
offering  thereof,  and  their  drink  offerings. 

20  And  on  the  third  day  eleven  bullocks,  two 
rams,  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year  without 
blemish ; 

21  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the 
lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 
manner : 

22  And  one  goat  for  a  sin  offering ;  beside  the 
continual  burnt  offering,  and  his  meat  offering, 
and  his  drink  offering. 

23  And  on  the  fourth  day  ten  bullocks,  two  rams, 
and  fourteen  lambs  of  "the  first  year  without 
blemish : 

24  Their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings 
for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs, 
shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the  manner : 

25  And  one  kid  of  the  goats  for  a  sin  offering ; 
beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  his  meat  offer- 
ing, and  his  drink  offering. 


7  And  on  the  tenth  day  of  this  seventh  month 
ye  shall  have  an  holy  convocation  ;  and  ye  shall 
afflict  your  souls ;  ye  shall  do  no  manner  of 

8  work  :  but  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering  unto 
the  Lord  for  a  sweet  savour  ;  one  j'oung  bullock, 
one  ram,  seven  he-lambs  of  the  first  year;  they 

9  shall  be  unto  you  without  blemish:  and  their 
meal  offering,  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  three 
tenth  parts  for  the  bullock,  two  tenth  parts  for 

10  the  one  ram,  a  several  tenth  part  for  every  lamb 

11  of  tlie  seven  lambs:  one  he-goat  for  a  sin  offer- 
ing ;  beside  the  sin  offering  of  atonement,  and 
the  continual  burnt  offering,  and  the  meal  offer- 
ing thereof,  and  their  drink  offerings. 

12  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  seventh  month 
ye  shall  have  an  holy  convocation  ;  ye  shall  do 
no  servile  work,  and  ye  shall  keep  a  feast  unto 

13  the  Lord  seven  days  :  and  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt 
offering,  an  offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet 
savour  unto  the  Lord  ;  thirteen  young  bullocks, 
two  rams,  fourteen  he-lambs  of  the  first  year; 

14  they  shall  be  without  blemish :  and  their  meal 
offering,  fine  flour  mingled  with  oil,  three  tenth 
parts  for  every  bullock  of  the  thiiteen  bullocks, 
two  tenth  parts  for  each  ram  of  the  two  rams, 

15  and  a  several  tenth  part  for  every  lamb  of  the 
10  fourteen  lambs  :  and  one  he-goat  for  a  sin  offer- 
ing ;    beside  the  continual   burnt  oft'ering,  the 
meal  oft'ering  thereof,   and  the  drink  ottering 
thereof. 

17  And  on  the  second  day  ye  shall  offer  twelve 
young  bullocks,  two  rams,  fourteen  he-lambs  of 

18  the  first  year  without  blemish  :  and  their  meal 
offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for  the  bul- 
locks, for  the  rams,  and  for  the  lambs,  according 

19  to  their  number,  after  the  ordinance  :  and  one 
he-goat  for  a  sin  offering  ;  beside  the  continual 
burnt  offering,  and  the  meal  offering  thereof, 
and  their  drink  offerings. 

20  And  on  the  third  day  eleven  bullocks,  two 
rams,  fourteen  he-lambs  of  the  first  year  with- 

21  out  blemish  ;  and  their  meal  offering  and  their 
drink  offerings  for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams, 
and  for  the  lambs,  according  to  their  number, 

22  after  the  ordinance  :  and  one  he-goat  for  a  sin 
oft'ering  ;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering, 
and  the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  the  drink 
offering  thereof. 

23  And  on  the  fourth  day  ten  bullocks,  two  rams, 
fourteen    he-lambs  of   the    first   year   without 

24  blemish  :  their  meal  offering  and  their  drink 
offerings  for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for 
the  lambs,  according  to  their  number,  after  the 

25  ordinance:  and  one  he-goat  for  a  sin  offering; 
beside  the  continual  burnt  offering,  the  meal 
offering  thereof,  and  the  drink  oft'ering  thereof. 


7-11.  7.  The  Day  of  Atonement.  In  the  list 
of  feasts  in  Lev.  23  :  26-32,  the  general  character 
of  this  day  as  a  day  for  afflicting  the  soul  is  pre- 
scribed, while  that  distinguishing  feature  of  puri- 
fication for  the  sanctuary  and  for  the  priests  and 
all  the  people  through  sin  offerings  and  sprinkled 
blood,  and  finally  the  unique  ceremony  of  send- 
ing the  live  goat  away  to  Azazel,  which  makes 
this  day  the  great  day  of  the  sacred  year,  is  de- 
scribed in  full  in  Lev.  16.  In  this  place  we  have 
only  the  sacrifices  which  are  to  introduce  the  day 
as  an  appointed  observance,  and  these  ai*e  the 
same  as  those  for  the  day  of  trumpet  blowing. 


12-38.  8.  Feast  of  Booths.  This  festival 
with  its  holy  convocation  the  first  day  and  its 
eighth  day  'atzcreth,  or  closing  festival,  is  com- 
manded in  Lev.  23  :  33-36.  It  is  there  j^re- 
scribed  that  a  fire  offering  shall  be  made  each 
day  (ibid.,  36),  and  the  passage  before  gives  the 
details  of  that  offering.  The  secular  or  lay 
manner  of  keeping  this  happy  festival,  espe- 
cially the  feature  of  dwelling  in  booths,  is 
described  in  Lev.  23  :  39-44.  The  remarkable 
thing  about  the  offerings  prescribed  for  this 
festival  is  the  immense  number  of  bullocks 
that   are    consumed   during   the   seven   days. 


Ch.  XXX.] 


NUMBERS 


119 


26  And  on  the  fifth  day  nine  bullocks,  two  rams, 
a7id  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year  without  spot : 

27  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the 
lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 
manner: 

28  And  one  goat /or  a  sin  offering  ;  beside  the  con- 
tinual burnt  offering,  and  his  meat  offering,  and 
his  drink  offering. 

29  And  on  the  sixth  day  eight  bullocks,  two  rams, 
and  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year  without 
blemish : 

30  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  tlie 
lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 
manner : 

31  And  one  goat /or  a  sin  offering  ;  beside  the  con- 
tinual burnt  offering,  his  meat  offering,  and  his 
drink  offering. 

32  And  on  the  seventh  day  seven  bullocks,  two 
rams,  mid  fourteen  lambs  of  the  first  year  without 
blemish  : 

33  And  their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offer- 
ings for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams,  and  for  the 
lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  number,  after  the 
manner : 

34  And  one  goat /or  a  sin  offering  ;  beside  the  con- 
tinual burnt  offering,  his  meat  offering,  and  his 
drink  offering. 

35  On  the  eighth  day  ye  shall  have  a  solemn 
assembly  :  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work  (herein: 

36  But  ye  shall  offer  a  burnt  offering,  a  sacrifice 
made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  :  one 
bullock,  one  ram,  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year 
without  blemish : 

37  Their  meat  offering  and  their  drink  offerings  for 
the  bullock,  for  the  ram,  and  for  the  lambs,  shall  be 
according  to  their  number,  after  the  manner  : 

38  And  one  goat/or  a  sin  offering ;  beside  the  con- 
tinual burnt  offering,  and  his  meat  offering,  and 
his  drink  offering. 

39  These  Ihings  ye  shall  do  unto  the  Lord  in  your 
set  feasts,  beside  your  vows,  and  your  freewill  offer- 
ings, for  your  burnt  offerings,  and  for  your  meat 
offerings,  and  for  your  drink  offerings,  and  for  your 
peace  offerings. 

40  And  Moses  told  the  children  of  Israel  accord- 
ing to  all  that  the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 


26  And  on  the  fifth  day  nine  bullocks,  two  rams, 
fourteen    he-lambs   of   the    first    year  without 

27  blemish :  and  their  meal  offering  and  their 
drink  offerings  for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams, 
and  for  the  lambs,  according  to  their  number, 

28  after  the  ordinance:  and  one  he-goat  for  a  sin 
offering ;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering, 
and  the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  the  drink 
offering  thereof. 

29  And  on  the  sixth  day  eight  bullock.s,  two  rams, 
fourteen    he-lambs  of    tlie    hrst    year    without 

30  blemish :  and  tlieir  meal  offeriiig  and  their 
drink  offerings  for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams, 
and  for  the  lambs,  according  to  their  number, 

31  after  the  ordinance:  and  one  he-goat  for  a  siu 
offering;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering, 
the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  the  drink  offer- 
ings thereof. 

32  And  on  the  seventh  day  seven  bullocks,  two 
rams,  fourteen  he-lambs  of  the  first  year  with- 

33  out  blemish:  and  their  meal  offering  and  their 
drink  offerings  for  the  bullocks,  for  the  rams, 
and  for  the  lambs,  according  to  their  number, 

34  after  the  ordinance:  and  one  he-goat  for  a  sin 
offering;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offering, 
the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  the  drink  offering 
thereof. 

35  On   the  eighth  day  ye  shall   have  a  solemn 

36  assembly  :  ye  shall  do  no  servile  work:  but  ye 
shall  oft"er  a  burnt  offering,  an  offering  made  by 
fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord  :  one  bul- 
lock, one  ram,  seven  he-lambs  of  the  first  year 

37  without  blemish :  their  meal  offering  and  their 
drink  offerings  for  the  bullock,  for  tlie  ram,  and 
for  the  lambs,  shall  be  according  to  their  nura- 

38  ber,  after  the  ordinance:  and  one  he-goat  for  a 
sin  offering;  beside  the  continual  burnt  offer- 
ing, and  the  meal  offering  thereof,  and  tlie  drink 
offering  thereof. 

39  These  ye  shall  offer  unto  the  Lord  in  your  set 
feasts,  beside  your  vows,  and  your  freewill  offer- 
ings, for  your  burnt  offerings,  and  for  your  meal 
offerings,  and  for  your  drink  offerings,  and  for 

40  your  peace  offerings.  And  Moses  told  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  according  to  all  that  the  Lord 
commanded  Moses. 


They  amount  to  seventy;  but  instead  of  dis- 
posing the  number  so  that  ten  shall  be  used 
each  day,  they  are  arranged  according  to  a 
diminishing  scale,  thirteen  being  offered  the 
first  day  and  the  sum  being  daily  decreased  by 
one,  so  that  on  the  seventh  day  the  series  has 
come  down  to  seven.  All  the  other  sacrifices 
are  the  same  for  each  day.  The  seven  times 
repeated  sacrifice  of  fourteen  he  lambs  makes 
an  aggregate  of  ninety-eight  lambs  used  during 
the  festival.  All  this  enormous  outlay  of  sacri- 
ficial material  in  the  court  of  the  sanctuary, 
together  with  the  universal  rejoicing  of  the 
laity  in  the  numerous  booths,  combined-  to 
make  this  the  culminating  festival  of  the  year. 
On  the  eighth  day,  which  was  an  'atzereth  or 
closing  festival,  the  sacrifices  reverted  to  the 
same  constituent  numbers  as  those  characteriz- 
ing the  Day  of  Atonement  and  the  trumpet- 
blowing  feast. 

39,  40.  This  closing  subscription  may  be 
compared  with  Lev.  23  :  37,  38,  and  particularly 
specifies    that    the    foregoing    ordinances  con- 


tained in  these  two  chapters  relate  to  the  public 
offerings  maintained  at  the  general  expense  as 
distinguished  from  those  vows  or  expressions  of 
spontaneous  devotion  which  individuals  may 
choose  to  make  from  time  to  time.  It  is  to  be 
observed  that  in  the  first  seven  chapters  of 
Leviticus  where  the  details  of  the  ritual  for  the 
various  offerings  are  described,  the  commands 
are  issued  in  the  form  of  directions  to  the  in- 
dividual who  may  wish  to  bring  an  ottering,  or 
who  may  be  conscious  of  sin  needing  atone- 
ment ;  so  that  some  such  directions  as  tho.se 
just  given  were  needed  in  order  to  regulate  tlie 
quantity  of  outlay  required  for  the  orderly 
maintenance  of  the  public  service. 


Chap.  30.  Law  regarding  the  valid- 
ity OF  vows.  1-5.  In  a  form  .somewliat  vary- 
ing from  the  usual  one,  this  legislation  is  reported 
by  Mo.ses  to  the  heads  of  the  tribes  as  received 
by  him  from  Jehovah  (»cr.  i).  The  priests,  who 
are  usually  the  ones  most  benefited  by  tlie  per- 
formance of  vows,  are  not  here  invested  with 


120 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXX. 


CHAPTEE    XXX. 


1  AND  Moses  spake  unto  the  heads  of  the  tribes 
concerning  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  This  is 
the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded. 

2  If  a  man  vow  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  or  swear  an 
oath  to  bind  his  soul  with  a  bond ;  he  shall  not 
break  his  vk^ord,  he  shall  do  according  to  all  that 
proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth. 

3  If  a  woman  also  vow  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and 
bind  herself  by  a  bond,  being  in  lier  father's  house 
in  her  youth ; 

4  And  her  father  hear  her  vovr,  and  her  bond 
wherewith  she  liath  bound  her  soul,  and  her  father 
shall  hold  his  peace  at  her :  then  all  her  vows  shall 
stand,  and  every  bond  wherewith  she  hath  bound 
her  soul  shall  stand. 

5  But  if  her  father  disallow  her  in  the  day  that 
he  heareth  ;  not  any  of  her  vows,  or  of  her  bonds 
wherewith  she  hath  bound  her  soul,  shall  stand: 
and  the  Lord  shall  forgive  her,  because  her  father 
disallowed  her. 

6  And  if  she  had  at  all  an  husband,  when  she 
vowed,  or  uttered  ought  out  of  her  lips,  wherewitli 
she  bound  her  soul ; 

7  And  her  husband  heard  it,  and  held  his  peace 
at  lier  in  the  day  that  he  heard  it:  then  her  vows 
shall  stand,  and  her  bonds  wherewith  she  bound 
her  soul  shall  stand. 

8  But  if  her  husband  disallowed  lier  on  the  day 
that  he  heard  it ;  then  he  shall  make  her  vow  which 
she  vowed,  and  that  which  she  uttered  with  her 
lips,  wherewith  she  bound  her  soul,  of  none  effect : 
and  the  Lord  sliall  forgive  her. 

9  But  every  vow  of  a  widow,  and  of  her  that  is 
divorced,  wherewith  they  have  bound  their  souls, 
shall  stand  against  her. 


1  AND  Moses  spake  unto  the  heads  of  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of   Israel,  saying,  This  is  the 

2  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded.  When 
a  man  voweth  a  vow  unto  tlie  Lord,  or  sweareth 
an  oath  to  bind  his  soul  with  a  bond,  he  shall 
not  break  his  word  ;  he  shall  do  according  to  all 

3  that  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth.  Also  when  a 
woman  voweth  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,  and  bind- 
eth  herself   by  a  bond,  being  in  her  father's 

4  house,  in  her  youth  ;  and  her  father  heareth  her 
vow,  and  her  bond  wherewith  she  hath  bound 
her  soul,  and  her  father  holdeth  his  peace  at 
her:  then  all  her  vows  shall  stand,  and  every 
bond  wherewith  she  hath  bound  her  soul  shall 

5  stand.  But  if  her  father  disallow  her  in  the  day 
that  lie  heareth ;  none  of  her  vows,  or  of  her 
bonds  wherewith  she  hath  bound  her  soul,  shall 
stand :  and  the  Lord  shall  forgive  her,  because 

6  her  father  disallowed  her.  And  if  she  be  viar- 
ried  to  a  husband,  while  her  vows  are  upon  her, 
or  the  rash  utterance  of  her  lips,  wherewith  she 

7  hath  bound  her  soul ;  and  her  husband  hear  it, 
and  hold  his  peace  at  her  in  the  day  that  he 
heareth  it:  then  her  vows  shall  stand,  and  her 
bonds  wherewith  she  hath  bound  her  soul  shall 

8  stand.  But  if  her  husband  disallow  her  in  the 
day  that  he  heareth  it ;  then  he  shall  make  void 
her  vow  which  is  upon  her,  and  the  rash  utter- 
ance of  her  lips,  wherewith  she  hath  bound  her 

9  soul :  and  the  Lord  shall  forgive  her.  But  the 
vow  of  a  widow,  or  of  her  that  is  divorced,  even 
every  thing  wherewith  she  liath  bound  her  soul, 


the  superintendence  of  their  fulfilment;  it  is 
made  the  concern  of  the  secular  judges.  It  is 
to  be  noted  too,  that  the  legal  process  of  con- 
firming or  annulling  vows  in  the  family  is 
made  possible  without  the  intervention  of  the 
priest ;  thus  avoiding  that  priestly  interference 
in  family  life  which  has  so  often  wrought  mis- 
chief in  more  modern  times.  The  general  law 
is  that  if  a  man  makes  a  vow,  or  binds  his  soul 
with  a  bond,  he  must  perform  what  he  has 
promised  (ver.  2).  The  distinction  is  made  be- 
tween a  vow  TIJ,  nedher,  and  a  bond  "1D5<,  'issar, 
the  former  being  the  promise  to  do  or  give 
something,  while  the  latter  is  the  pledge  to  re- 
strain one's  self  from  something.  The  vow  of 
the  Nazarite  (chap,  e)  is  designated  as  a  positive 
vow,  since  its  most  prominent  feature  is  not  the 
abstinence  but  the  conspicuous  going  about 
with  long  hair.  Besides  the  legislation  regard- 
ing the  Nazarite  vow,  a  whole  chapter  in  Levit- 
icus (chap.  27)  is  devoted  to  vows;  but  this  is 
mainly  a  list  of  tariffs  and  rules  for  the  com- 
mutation of  persons  or  things  devoted  to  Je- 
hovah and  redeemed  with  money. 

After  ver.  2  the  rest  of  this  chapter  is  devoted 
to  defining  the  validity  of  vows  made  by  women. 
The  first  case  is  that  of  a  woman  making  a  vow 
while  still  in  her  youth  in  her  father's  house. 
The  law  vests  in  the  father  the  right  to  confirm 
or  annul  the  vow.    If  he  hears  the  vow  at  the 


time  it  is  uttered  and  makes  no  objection,  the 
vow  is  regarded  as  confirmed  by  his  silence 
(ver.  4) ;  but  if  lie  disallows  the  vow  at  the  time 
of  its  utterance,  it  is  annulled,  and  the  divine 
forgiveness  is  vouchsafed  the  woman  thus  de- 
prived of  the  power  to  fulfil  her  promise  (ver.  5). 

6-12.  The  second  case  (ver.  6-9)  is  that  of  a 
woman  who  comes  into  the  married  state  hav- 
ing unfulfilled  vows  resting  upon  her — vows 
which  were  assumed  while  in  her  father's 
house  either  with  his  tacit  consent  or  wdthout 
his  knowledge.  The  translation  of  ver.  6  in 
the  A.  V.  is  unsatisfactory ;  see  the  R.  V.  Ac- 
count is  taken  not  only  of  a  formal  vow  but  of  a 
rash  utterance  (ver.  6),  which  once  made  must 
be  taken  seriously.  The  word  translated  rash 
utterance  is  not  found  elsewhere,  though  the 
corresponding  verb  is  used  in  Lev.  5:4.  It 
may  be  that  some  ill-advised  utterance,  brought 
to  Moses'  attention,  which  was  threatening 
trouble  in  a  newly  constituted  family  was  the 
occasion  of  the  legislation  of  this  chapter.  The 
rule  is,  that  the  woman  on  entering  the  married 
state  can  bring  in  no  obligations  w^hich  the  hus- 
band may  not  annul,  if  it  is  his  pleasure,  on  their 
coming  to  his  knowledge.  He  assumes  the  full 
right  which  the  father  had,  his  authority  even 
superseding  any  obligation  which  may  have  been 
created  by  the  parent's  former  consent. 

The  third  case  (ver.  9)  is  that  of  a  widow  or 


Ch.  XXXI.] 


NUMBERS 


121 


10  And  if  she  vowed  in  her  husband's  house,  or 
bound  her  soul  by  a  bond  with  an  oath  ; 

11  And  her  husband  heard  it,  and  held  his  peace 
at  her,  and  disallowed  her  not :  then  all  her  vows 
shall  stand,  and  every  bond  wherewith  she  bound 
her  soul  shall  stand. 

12  But  if  her  husband  hath  utterly  made  them 
void  on  the  day  he  heard  them;  then  whatsoever 
proceeded  out  of  her  lips  concerning  her  vows,  or 
concerning  the  bond  of  her  soul,  shall  not  stand : 
her  husband  hath  made  them  void  ;  and  the  Lord 
shall  forgive  her. 

13  Every  vow,  and  every  binding  oath  to  afflict 
the  soul,  her  husband  may  establish  it,  or  her  hus- 
band may  make  it  void. 

14  But  if  her  husband  altogether  hold  his  peace 
at  her  from  day  to  day ;  then  he  establisheth  ail 
her  vows,  or  all  her  bonds,  which  are  upon  her  :  he 
confirmeth  them,  because  he  held  his  peace  at  her 
in  the  day  that  he  heard  them. 

15  But  if  he  shall  any  ways  make  them  void  after 
that  he  hath  heard  them;  then  he  shall  bear  her 
iniquity. 

16  These  are  the  statutes,  which  the  Lord  com- 
manded Moses,  between  a  man  and  his  wife,  be- 
tween the  father  and  his  daughter,  being  yet  in  her 
youth  in  her  father's  house. 


10  shall  stand  against  her.  And  if  she  vowed  in 
her  husband's  house,  or  bound  her  soul  by  a 

11  bond  with  an  oath,  and  her  husband  heard  it, 
and  held  his  peace  at  her,  and  disallowed  her 
not;  then  all  her  vows  shall  stand,  and  every 
bond  wherewith  she  bound  her  soul  shall  stand. 

12  But  if  her  husband  made  them  null  and  void  in 
the  day  that  he  heard  them  ;  then  whatsoever 
proceeded  out  of  her  lips  concerning  her  vows, 
or  concerning  tlie  Ixuid  of  licr  soul,  shall  not 
stand  :  her  husband  hath  made  tliem  void  ;  and 

13  the  Lord  shall  forgive  her.  t^very  vow,  and 
every  binding  oath  to  atUict  the  soul,  her  hus- 
band may  establish  it,  or  her  husband  may  make 

14  it  void.  But  if  her  husband  altogether  hold  his 
peace  at  her  from  day  to  day  ;  then  he  establish- 
eth all  her  vows,  or  all  her  Ixinds,  which  are 
upon  her :  he  hath  established  them,  l^ecause  he 
held  his  peace  at  her  in  the  day  that  he  heard 

15  them.  But  if  he  shall  make  them  null  and  void 
after  that  he  hath  heard  them  ;  then  he  shall 

16  bear  her  iniquity.  These  are  the  .statutes,  which 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  between  a  man  and 
his  wife,  between  a  father  and  his  daughter, 
being  in  her  youth,  in  her  father's  house. 


divorced  woman.  As  she  has  no  protector  or 
master,  her  utterances  must  maintain  their  full 
obligation  whatever  the  circumstances,  the  same 
as  those  of  a  man.  Finally  the  case  of  a  mar- 
ried woman  making  a  vow  while  in  her  hus- 
band's house  is  specified  (ver.  10-12).  The  same 
right  of  repeal  is  vested  in  the  husband  as  be- 
longed to  the  father  in  the  case  of  the  unmar- 
ried daughter ;  and  the  same  peril  of  confirm- 
ing the  vow  by  inattention  or  silence  attends 
him.  As  the  woman,  now  old  enough  to  make 
vows  in  her  own  family,  may  be  presumed  to  be 
of  mature  age,  the  husband's  restraining  power 
over  her  promises  seems  to  indicate  a  recogni- 
tion, according  to  Oriental  ideas,  of  a  certain 
mental  inferiority  on  the  part  of  women.  Vows 
are  usually  assumed  under  a  religious  impulse ; 
and  since  women,  as  the  more  emotional  sex, 
are  always  more  responsive  to  religious  feelings 
and  motives  than  men,  their  husbands  might 
not  infi-equently  be  led  to  regard  the  vows  made 
by  them  under  stress  of  strong  feeling  as  not  ad- 
justed to  a  prudent  scale  of  expense,  or  not  con- 
sistent with  the  full  complement  of  conjugal 
duty.  Such  religious  impressionability  appears 
to  be  regarded  as  a  sort  of  weakness,  whose  out- 
come ought  to  be  subject  to  revision  from  the 
business  head  of  the  family. 

13-16.  After  asserting  in  general  terms  the 
right  of  the  husband  to  confirm  or  annul  any 
vows  or  binding  oaths  which  may  be  taken  by 
the  wife  (ver.  13),  this  section  goes  on  to  instance 
the  case  of  a  husband  allowing  the  obligation 
and  practice  of  a  vow  to  run  on  for  a  considerable 
time,  from  day  to  day  (ver.  14),  without  taking 
the  trouble  to  express  his  dissent.  In  this  case, 
if  he  chooses  to  inhibit  the  vow  after  a  tardy 


recognition  of  its  inconvenience  or  undesirabil- 
ity,  he  must  bear  her  iniquity,  i.  e.,  as.sume 
the  responsibility  for  any  trouble  or  guilt 
which  she  may  have  incurred  tlirough  the  be- 
lated breaking  off  of  her  obligation  (ver.  15).  The 
last  verse  is  a  general  subscription  or  appended 
title  applying  to  the  whole  chapter. 


Chap.  31.  The  war  of  vengeance 
AGAINST  MiDiAN.  This  chapter,  which  is  in 
the  vein  of  P,  appears  to  be  an  augmented  and 
theoretically  conceived  compilation  from  sim- 
pler materials  furni.shed  by  tradition.  "The 
piece,"  says  Dillmann,  "though  in  form  a  nar- 
rative, is  really  a  piece  of  legislation,  wherein 
the  method  of  procedure  against  an  enemy  who 
has  incurred  the  wrath  of  God,  and  especially 
the  rule  for  the  disposal  of  the  spoil,  is  set 
forth."  Such  few  details  as  are  given  of  the 
incitement  and  preparation  for  tlio  conflict  are 
so  ideally  and  simply  regular  as  almost  to  sug- 
gest an  invention  of  incidents  which  took  little 
pains  for  narrative  verisimilitude,  but  was 
rather  constructing  any  suflicient  framework 
for  the  legislation  whicli  was  the  chief  concern. 
Moses  calls  for  a  thousand  men  from  each  tribe 
to  execute  Jehovah's  vengeance,  and  these  are 
furnished  in  exact  tale  without  regard  to  tlie 
tribes'  relative  military  strength  and  proceed 
armed  to  the  war  accompanied  by  the  zealous 
Phinehas,  who  carries  along  the  siicred  gear  and 
the  prescribed  trumpets  secwulum  artem.  This 
army  proceeds  to  slaughter  without  mishap,  and 
apparently  without  resistance,  all  the  males  of 
a  nation  whose  virgin  daughters  alone  numbered 
thirty-two  thousand,  and  to  bring  home  all  the 
women  and  little  ones,  besides  llocks  and  herds 


122 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXI. 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Avenge  the  children  of  Israel  of  the  Midian- 
ites:  afterward  shalt  tliou  be  gathered  unto  thy 
people. 

3  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  people,  saying,  Arm 
some  of  yourselves  unto  the  war,  and  let  them  go 
against  the  Midianites,  and  avenge  the  Lord  of 
Midian. 

4  Of  every  tribe  a  thousand,  throughout  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  shall  ye  send  to  the  war. 

5  So  there  were  delivered  out  of  the  thousands  of 
Israel,  a  thousand  of  every  tribe,  twelve  thousand 
armed  for  war. 


1  And   the   Lord    spake   unto   Moses,    saying, 

2  Avenge  the  children  of  Israel  of  the  Midianites  : 
afterward  slialt  thou  be  gathered  unto  ttiy  peo- 

3  pie.  And  Moses  spake  unto  the  people,  saying, 
Arm  ye  men  from  among  you  for  the  war,  that 
they  may  go  against  Midianj  to  execute  the  Lord's 

4  vengeance  on  Midian.  Of  every  tribe  a  thousand 
throughout  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  shall  ye  send 

5  to  the  war.  So  there  were  delivered,  out  of  the 
thousands  of  Israel,  a  tliousand  of  every  tribe, 


to  the  number  of  more  than  eight  hundred  thou- 
sand and  much  additional  treasure  in  gold  orna- 
ments. "  In  the  high  figures,"  says  Driver, 
"and  absence  of  specific  details,  the  narrative 
resembles  the  descriptions  of  wars  in  the  Chron- 
icles or  in  Judg.  20.  The  account,  as  we  have 
it,  contains  elements  which  are  not  easy  to 
reconcile  with  historical  probability.  The  dif- 
ficulties of  the  section  are  mitigated  by  the  sup- 
position that  the  simpler  materials  supplied  by 
tradition  have  here  been  elaborated  by  the  com- 
piler, in  accordance  with  his  love  of  system, 
into  an  ideal  picture  of  the  manner  in  which  a 
sacred  war  must  have  been  conducted  by  Israel." 
1-13.  The  war  here  laid  upon  Moses'  con- 
science as  his  duty  was  purely  a  war  of  divine 
reprisal  for  the  treachery  which  had  attempted 
to  corrupt  the  most  inward  and  essential  life  of 
the  children  of  Israel.  Moses  had  felt  impressed 
with  this  duty  since  the  time  of  the  plague  (25  : 
1''),  and  he  counted  the  fulfilling  of  it  an  appro- 
priate ending  for  his  public  career  (ver.  2). 
Whether  the  Midianites  or  Bedouin  were  them- 
selves fanatical  inciters  to  the  worship  of  Beth- 
peor  is  not  clear ;  this  seems  to  have  been  more 
especially  the  part  which  the  daughters  of  Moab 
played  (see  25  :  i-5) ;  and  this  was  punished  by 
the  judges  of  Israel  (iwd.,  ver.  5).  But  the  Midian- 
ites appear  to  have  been  the  prime  movers  in 
the  seductions  to  impurity  in  which  the  highest 
nobles  on  either  side  were  tempters  and  tempted, 
and  in  consequence  of  which  a  devastating  plague 
swept  over  Israel.  These  were  following  a  con- 
certed plan  which  they  had  adopted  at  the  ad- 
vice of  Balaam  (ver.  le),  and  they  are  therefore 
singled  out,  rather  than  the  Moabites,  as  the 
more  dangerous  foes  and  the  more  guilty  sin- 
ners. A  religious  war,  or  war  of  divine  ven- 
geance, the  command  to  which  in  modern  and 
Protestant  thought  could  perhaps  not  possibly 
authenticate  itself  as  divine,  was  nevertheless 
eminently  in  place  at  the  level  of  society  and  in 
the  circumstances  of  provocation  existing  at  this 
time.  It  was  not  a  war  of  opinion,  nor  was  it 
simply  the  partisan  rage  of  one  tribal  deity 


against  another.  It  was  a  mighty  flaming  out 
of  righteous  anger  in  behalf  of  a  people  just 
striving  for  a  foothold  in  a  spiritual  life,  whose 
whole  inner  integrity  was  in  peril  of  being  de- 
stroyed through  devilish  temptations  laying  hold 
of  the  strongest  of  human  passions.  There  is 
something  that  is  of  more  importance  than  tol- 
erance— that  is,  the  preservation  of  spiritual  in- 
tegrity, the  saving  of  the  soul  from  destruction. 
Considering  the  time,  and  the  plane  on  which 
God  was  working,  we  cannot  call  the  account 
erroneous  in  designating  Moses'  conviction  of 
duty  in  this  case  as  a  revelation  from  Jehovah. 
Moses  gave  directions  to  the  people  to  arm  or 
mobilize  a  force  for  military  service,  a  thousand 
from  each  tribe,  that  they  might,  as  it  literally 
reads,  "be  upon  Midian  to  give  the  vengeance 
of  Jehovah  in  Midian  "  (ver.  3).  This  was  to  be 
a  religious  war,  in  which  the  punishment  in- 
flicted was  the  punishment  due  fi'om  Jehovah. 
At  the  same  time  it  does  not  appear  to  be  con- 
ceived of  as  a  war  against  the  Midianites  as 
idolaters,  nor  is  there  any  consciousness  of  in- 
vading the  realm  of  another  god.  The  whole 
affair  appears  to  be  treated  as  a  procedure  in 
which  Jehovah  has  full  jurisdiction.  This  need 
not  necessarily  be  because  Israel  had  at  this  time 
fully  risen  to  the  conception  of  Jehovah  as  a 
universal  Sovereign  ;  yet  there  does  seem  to  be 
indicated  a  moral  sense  Avhich  identified  Jeho- 
vah with  that  universal  divine  righteousness 
and  cognizance  of  human  wrong  which  is  larger 
than  any  mere  tribal  system  of  worship.  That 
the  Midianites  had  any  direct  part  in  the  Baal- 
peor  worship,  or  that  they  were  idolaters  at  all, 
is  somewhat  doubtful.  It  is  to  be  remembered 
that  they  were  of  Abrahamic  descent  (see  Gen. 
25  : 1-4),  and  that  it  was  from  the  desert  of  Midian 
that  Moses  brought  the  name  Jehovah  (see  Exod. 
3  :  1,  14) ;  they  may  have  been  recreant  and 
wholly  worldly  pretenders  to  a  Jehovah  cult, 
who  did  not  scruple  to  use  the  Peor-worship  and 
its  votaries  as  a  trap  (cf.  com.  on  22  :  22-35).  As 
this  was  a  sacred  war  the  object  was  not  merely 
to  disable  the  enemy  or  bring  him  to  terms,  but 


Ch.  XXXI.] 


NUMBERS 


123 


6  And  Moses  sent  them  to  the  war,  a  thousand  of 
every  tribe,  them  and  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar 
the  priest,  to  the  war,  with  the  holy  instruments, 
and  the  trumpets  to  blow  in  his  hand. 

7  And  they  warred  against  the  Midianites,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses ;  and  they  slew  all  the 
males. 

8  And  they  slew  the  kings  of  Midian,  beside  the 
rest  of  them  that  were  slain ;  namely,  Evi,  anci 
Rekem,  and  Zur,  and  Hur,  and  Reba,  five  kings  of 
Midian ;  Balaam  also  the  son  of  Beor  they  slew 
with  the  sword. 

9  And  the  children  of  Israel  took  all  the  women 
of  Midian  captives,  and  their  little  ones,  and  took 
the  spoil  of  all  their  cattle,  and  all  their  Hocks, 
and  all  their  goods. 

10  And  they  burnt  all  their  cities  wherein  they 
dwelt,  and  all  their  goodly  castles,  with  fire. 

11  And  they  took  all  the  spoil,  and  all  the  prey, 
both  of  men  and  of  beasts. 

12  And  they  brought  the  captives,  and  the  prey, 
and  the  spoil,  unto  Moses,  and  Eleazar  the  priest, 
and  unto  the  congregation  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
unto  the  camp  at  the  plains  of  Moab,  which  are  by 
Jordan  near  Jericho. 

13  And  Moses,  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  all  the 
princes  of  the  congregation,  went  forth  to  meet 
them  without  the  camp. 

14  And  Moses  was  wroth  with  the  officers  of  the 
host,  with  the  captains  over  thousands,  and  captains 
over  hundreds,  which  came  from  the  battle. 

15  And  Moses  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  saved  all 
the  women  alive? 

16  Behold,  these  caused  the  children  of  Israel, 
through  the  counsel  of  Balaam,  to  commit  trespass 
against  the  Lord  in  the  matter  of  Peor,  and  there 
was  a  plague  among  the  congregation  of  the  Lord. 


6  twelve  thousand  armed  for  war.  And  Moses 
sent  them,  a  thousand  ol  every  tril>e,  to  the  war, 
them  and  Phinehus  tl)e  son  of 'Jileazar  the  priest, 
to  tlie  war,  with  the  ves.sels  of  the  sanctuary  and 

7  the  trumpcLs  for  the  alarm  in  his  hand.  And 
they  waned  against  Midian,   as  the  Lord  coni- 

8  nianded  Moses  ;  and  tliey  slew  every  nuiie.  Anil 
they  slew  the  kings  of  Midian  with  the  rest  of 
their  slain  ;  Evi,  and  Kekem,  and  Zur,  and  Hur, 
and  Reba,  the  five  kings  of  Midian  :  Balaam  also 

9  the  son  of  Beor  they  slew  with  the  sword.  And 
the  children  of  Israel  took  captive  the  women 
of  Midian  and  their  little  ones;  and  all  their 
cattle,  and  all  their  flocks,  and  all  their  gotnls, 

10  tliey  took  for  a  prey.  And  all  tlieir  cities  in  tiie 
places   wherein   they  dwelt,  and  all   their  en- 

11  campments,  tliey  burnt  with  lire.  And  they 
took  all  the  spoil,  and  all  the  prey,  ix)th  of  man 

12  and  of  beast.  And  they  brought  the  captives, 
and  the  prey,  and  the  sp(jil,  unto  Moses,  and 
unto  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  unlo  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  children  of  Israel,  unto  the  camp  at 
the  plains  of  Moab,  which  are  by  the  Jordan  at 
Jericho. 

13  And  Moses,  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  all  the 
princes  of  tlie  congregation,  went  forili  to  meet 

14  them  without  the  camp.  And  Moses  was  wroih 
with  the  officers  of  the  host,  the  captains  of 
thousands  and  the  captains  oi  hundreds,  which 

15  came  from  the  service  of  the  war.  And  Moses 
said  unto  them.  Have  ye  saved  all  tlie  women 

16  alive?  Behold,  these  caused  the  children  of 
Israel,  througii  the  counsel  of  Balaam,  to  com- 
mit trespass  against  the  Lord  in  the  matter  of 
Peor,  and  so  tiie  plague  was  among  the  cungre- 


rather  to  eradicate  his  corrupting  influence.  It 
was  therefore  a  war  without  quarter  (ver.  7,8). 
The  army  was  accompanied  by  Phinehas,  the  son 
of  the  high  priest  Eleazar,  who  as  the  prompt  and 
zealous  punisher  of  impurity  (25  :  7) — indeed, 
the  very  embodiment  of  Jehovah's  jealousy  in 
the  case  provocative  of  this  war  (iWd.,  ver.  11) — 
was  most  eminently  fitted  to  perform  such 
priestly  functions  as  were  prescribed  for  mili- 
tary expeditions.  He  took  along  the  "  gear  of 
the  sanctuary"  (ver.  e)  and  the  trumpets  for  the 
alarm  prescribed  for  such  cases  in  10  :  1-10. 
This  sacred  gear,  as  distinguished  from  the 
trumpets  themselves,  consisted  perhaps  simply 
of  such  priestly  insignia  and  vestments  as  were 
necessary  for  performing  his  sacred  functions 
in  the  field.  No  description  is  given  of  the 
engagement,  whether  it  was  a  pitched  battle  or 
simply  an  irruption ;  the  writer  has  in  view 
only  the  results.  All  the  adult  males  were 
slain,  among  them  being  the  five  kings  of  Mid- 
ian, who  are  in  Joshua  called  princes  or  vassals 
of  Sihon  (Josh.  13  :  21)^  and  also  Balaam,  the  son 
of  Beor  (ver.  8).  One  of  these  princes,  Zur,  has 
already  been  named  as  the  father  of  the  Mid- 
ianitish  woman  who  was  slain  by  Phinehas  (25 : 
15).  The  women  and  children,  with  the  cattle 
and  flocks  and  goods,  were  treated  all  together 
as  so  much  dumb  property  and  brought  to  Moses 
and  Eleazar  at  the  camp  in  Arboth-Moab  (ver.  11, 


12),  while  the  cities  and  "encampments"  were 
burned  with  fire  (ver.  10).  These  encampments 
— not  castles  as  in  the  A.  V. — were  rows  or  en- 
closures of  stone  covered  with  tent-cloth  and 
used  as  habitations. 

13-24.  The  returning  warriors  were  met  by 
Moses  and  Eleazar  and  the  nobles  outside  the 
camp,  as  they  were  not  fit,  defiled  as  they  were 
with  the  work  of  slaughter,  to  enter  their  linbi- 
tations  until  after  tlieir  period  of  quarantine 
(ver.  13).  These  soldiers  in  their  unthinking 
conformity  to  the  rules  of  primitive  warfare  had 
treated  all  the  dependents  of  their  able-bodied 
foes  as  so  many  mere  belongings,  and  so  had 
brought  the  women  and  children  alive  along 
with  the  cattle.  We  need  to  bear  in  mind  how 
absolute  was  the  control  of  the  head  of  an 
Oriental  family  over  his  dependents.  Moses 
was  displeased  at  this  piece  of  thoughtlessness, 
and  reminded  the  people  that  the  mature  women 
of  the  Midianites,  by  being  willing  to  lend  their 
persons  to  a  deep-laid  scheme  of  impure  entice- 
ment, had  risi^-n  above  the  level  of  mere  non- 
combatants,  and  were  therefore  to  be  reckoned 
as  a  menace  to  safety  (ver.  le).  Literally,  "  these 
were  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  at  the  word  of 
Balaam,  to  venture  a  trespass  against  Jehovah." 
All  the  non-adult  males,  as  prospective  warriors, 
and  all  the  women  who  had  had  carnal  experi- 
ence of  the  male,  as  possible  enticements  to  im- 


124 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXI. 


17  Now  therefore  kill  every  male  among  the  little 
ones,  and  kill  every  woman  that  hath  known  man 
by  lying  with  him. 

18  But  all  the  women  children,  that  have  not 
known  a  man  by  lying  with  him,  keep  alive  for 
yourselves. 

19  And  do  ye  abide  without  the  camp  seven 
days :  whosoever  hath  killed  any  person,  and  who- 
soever hath  touched  any  slain,  purify  both  your- 
selves and  your  captives  on  the  third  day,  and  on 
the  seventh  day. 

20  And  purify  all  your  raiment,  and  all  that  is 
made  of  skins,  and  all  work  of  goats'  hair,  and  all 
things  made  of  wood. 

21  And  Eleazar  the  priest  said  unto  the  men  of 
war  which  went  to  the  battle.  This  is  the  ordinance 
of  the  law  which  the  Lord  commanded  Moses ; 

22  Only  the  gold,  and  the  silver,  the  brass,  the 
iron,  the  tin,  and  the  lead, 

23  Every  thing  that  may  abide  the  fire,  ye  shall 
make  it  go  through  the  fire,  and  it  shall  be  clean  : 
nevertheless  it  shall  be  purified  with  the  water  of 
separation :  and  all  that  abideth  not  the  fire  ye 
shall  make  go  through  the  water. 

24  And  ye  shall  wash  your  clothes  on  the  seventh 
day,  and  ye  shall  be  clean,  and  afterward  ye  shall 
come  into  the  camp. 

25  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

26  Take  the  sum  of  the  prey  that  was  taken,  both 
of  man  and  of  beast,  thou,  and  Eleazar  the  priest, 
and  the  chief  fathers  of  the  congregation: 

27  And  divide  the  prey  into  two  parts ;  between 
them  that  took  the  war  upon  them,  who  went  out 
to  battle,  and  between  all  the  congregation  : 

28  And  levy  a  tribute  unto  the  Lord  of  the  men 
of  war  which  went  out  to  battle :  one  soul  of  five 
hundred,  both  of  the  persons,  and  of  the  beeves,  and 
of  the  asses,  and  of  the  sheep : 

29  Take  it  of  their  half,  and  give  it  unto  Eleazar 
the  priest, /or  an  heave  offering  of  the  Lord. 

30  And  of  the  children  of  Israel's  half,  thou  shalt 
take  one  portion  of  fifty,  of  the  persons,  of  the 
beeves,  of  the  asses,  and  of  the  flocks,  of  all  man- 
ner of  beasts,  and  give  them  unto  the  Levites, 
which  keep  the  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the 
Lord. 

31  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  did  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses. 


17  gation  of  the  Lord.  Now  therefore  kill  every 
male  among  the  little  ones,  and  kill  every 
woman  that  hath  known  man  by  lying  with 

18  him.  But  all  the  women  children,  that  have 
not  known  man  by  lying  with  him,  keep  alive 

19  for  yourselves.  And  encamp  ye  without  the 
camp  seven  days:  whosoever  hath  killed  any 
person,  and  whosoever  hath  touched  any  slain", 
purify  yourselves  on  the  third  day  and  on  the 

20  seventh  day,  ye  and  your  captives".  And  as  to 
every  garment,  and  all  that  is  made  of  skin,  and 
all  work  of  goats'  hair,  and  all  things  made  of 

21  wood,  ye  shall  purify  yourselves.  And  Eleazar 
the  priest  said  unto  the  men  of  war  which  went 
to  the  battle.  This  is  the  statute  of  the  law 

22  which  the  Lord  hath  commanded  Moses:  how- 
beit  the  gold,  and  the  silver,  the  brass,  the  iron, 

23  the  tin,  and  the  lead,  every  thing  that  may  abide 
the  fire,  ye  shall  make  to  go  through  the  fire, 
and  it  shall  be  clean ;  nevertheless  it  shall  be 
purified  with  the  water  of  separation :  and  all 
that  abideth  not  the  fire  ye  shall  make  to  go 

24  through  the  water.  And  ye  shall  wash  your 
clothes  on  the  seventh  day,  and  ye  shall  be  clean, 
and  afterward  ye  shall  come  into  the  camp. 

25  And    the    Lord    spake   unto    Moses,    saying, 

26  Take  the  sum  of  the  prey  that  was  taken,  both 
of  man  and  of  beast,  thou,  and  Eleazar  the 
priest,  and  the  heads  of  the  fathers'  houses  of  the 

27  congregation :  and  divide  the  prey  into  two 
parts ;  between  the  men  skilled  in  war,  that 
went  out  to  battle,  and  all  the  congregation  : 

28  and  levy  a  tribute  unto  the  Lord  of  the  men  of 
war  that  went  out  to  battle:  one  soul  of  five 
hundred,  both  of  the  persons,  and  of  the  beeves, 

29  and  of  the  asses,  and  of  the  flocks:  take  it  of 
their  half,  and  give  it  unto  Eleazar  the  priest, 

30  for  the  Lord's  heave  offering.  And  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel's  half,  thou  shalt  take  one  drawn 
out  of  every  fifty,  of  the  persons,  of  the  beeves, 
of  the  asses,  and  of  the  flocks,  even  of  all  the 
cattle,  and  give  them  unto  the  Levites,  which 
keep  the  charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord. 

31  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  did  as  the 


purity  through  their  too  forward  blandishments, 
were  to  be  ruthlessly  slaughtered  (ver.  n).  The 
more  modest  virgins  could  be  entrusted  to  the 
morality  and  self-restraint  of  their  captors  (ver. 
18).  As  for  the  soldiers,  they  must  remain  without 
the  camp  for  seven  days  that  all  who  had  come 
in  contact  with  the  dead  might  observe  the  puri- 
fications prescribed  in  19  :  11-13  (ver.  i9).  It  is  es- 
pecially noted  that  this  self- purification  must  ex- 
tend to  all  garments  and  articles  made  of  leather 
or  goat's  hair  or  wood  (ver.  20) .  Eleazar  the  high 
priest,  as  the  ofiicial  under  whose  special  prov- 
ince all  matters  of  ceremonial  cleansing  came, 
now  interposed  with  his  reminder  of  the  "  statute 
of  the  law"  promulgated  in  chap.  19  (see  19  : 2)^ 
and  especially  with  a  fuller  definition  of  the 
requirements  regarding  vessels  that  were  in  a 
house  infected  by  the  dead  (cf.  i9  :  is).  All  the 
utensils  were  to  be  treated  as  thus  infected.  Not 
only  were  they  to  be  sprinkled  with  the  water  of 
purification  (ver.  23 )j  but  whatever  could  abide 
the  fire  must  be  purified  by  heat,  and  whatever 
could  not  must  be  washed  with  water. 


25-47.  Ver.  25-31  outline  the  principle  on 
which  the  spoil  was  to  be  distributed.  In  the 
first  place  it  was  to  be  divided  by  two,  one-half 
being  given  to  the  men  who  went  to  the  war, 
and  one-half  to  the  congregation  that  remained 
at  home  (ver.  27).  This  is  somewhat  like  that 
principle  which  David  is  recorded  to  have  estab- 
lished as  an  ordinance  in  Israel  (1  Sam.  so :  24, 25). 
The  case,  however,  with  which  his  regulation 
set  out  resulted  in  giving  as  much  to  two  hun- 
dred who  stayed  behind  from  weakness  as  to 
twice  that  number  who  took  the  risk  and  bur- 
den of  the  foray ;  while  here  the  same  amount 
of  booty  falls  to  twelve  thousand  warriors  as  to 
nearly  six  hundred  thousand  civilians.  More- 
over, despite  this  enormous  disparity  in  the  per 
capita  award,  the  soldiers  were  still  further  ad- 
vantaged in  being  required  to  pay  only  one  five- 
hundredth  as  a  tribute  to  Jehovah  for  the 
priests,  while  from  the  great  congregation  was 
levied  ten  times  as  much,  or  one-fiftieth,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Levites.  It  is  to  be  noted,  how- 
ever, that  in  David's  case  the  distinction  is 


Ch.  XXXI.  ] 


NUMBERS 


125 


32  And  the  booty,  being  the  rest  of  the  prey  which 
the  men  of  war  had  caught,  was  six  hundred  thou- 
sand and  seventy  thousand  and  five  thousand 
sheep, 

33  And  threescore  and  twelve  thousand  beeves, 

34  And  threescore  and  one  thousand  asses, 

35  And  thirty  and  two  thousand  persons  in  all,  of 
women  that  had  not  known  man  by  lying  with  him. 

36  And  the  half,  which  was  the  portion  of  them 
tluit  went  out  to  war,  was  in  number  three  hun- 
dred thousand  and  seven  and  thirty  thousand  and 
tive  hundred  sheep : 

37  And  the  Lord's  tribute  of  the  sheep  was  six 
hundred  and  threescore  and  tifteen. 

38  And  the  beeves  were  thirty  and  six  thousand  ; 
of  which  the  Lord's  tribute  was  threescore  and 
twelve. 

39  And  the  asses  were  thirty  thousand  and  five 
hundred  ;  of  which  the  Lord's  tribute  was  three- 
score and  one. 

40  And  the  persons  were  sixteen  thousand  ;  of 
which  the  Lord's  tribute  loas  thirty  and  two  persons. 

41  And  Moses  gave  the  tribute,  which  was  the 
Lord's  heave  offering,  unto  Eleazar  the  priest,  as 
the  Lord  commanded  Moses. 

42  And  of  the  children  of  Israel's  half,  which 
Moses  divided  from  the  men  that  warred, 

43  (Now  the  half  that  pertained  unto  the  congre- 
gation was  three  hundred  thousand  and  thirty 
thousand  and  seven  thousand  and  live  hundred 
sheep, 

44  And  thirty  and  six  thousand  beeves, 

45  And  thirty  thousand  asses  and  five  hundred, 

46  And  sixteen  thousand  persons  ;) 

47  Even  of  the  children  of  Israel's  half,  Moses 
took  one  portion  of  fifty,  both  of  man  and  of  beast, 
and  gave  them  unto  the  Levites,  which  kept  the 
charge  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord  ;  as  the  Lord 
ccjmmanded  Moses. 

48  And  the  officers  which  were  over  thousands  of 
the  host,  the  captains  of  thousands,  and  captains 
of  hundreds,  came  near  unto  Moses  : 

49  And  they  said  unto  Moses,  Thy  servants  have 
taken  the  sum  of  the  men  of  war  which  are  under 
our  charge,  and  there  lacketh  not  one  man  of  us. 

50  We  have  therefore  brought  an  oblation  for  the 
Lord,  wliat  every  man  hath  gotten,  of  jewels,  of 
gold,  chains,  and  bracelets,  rings,  earrings,  and 
tablets,  to  make  an  atonement  for  our  souls  before 
the  Lord. 

51  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  gold 
of  them,  eveyi  all  wrought  jewels. 

52  And  all  the  gold  of  the  offering  that  they 
offered  up  to  the  Lord,  of  the  captains  of  thou- 
sands, and  of  the  captains  of  hundreds,  was  six- 
teen thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  shekels. 


32  Lord  commanded  Moses.  Now  the  prey,  over 
and  above  the  booty  which  the  men  of  war  took, 
was  six  hundred  thousand  and  seventy  thousand 

33  and   five  thousand  sheep,  and  threescore  and 

34  twelve  thousand  beeves,  and  tlireescore  and  one 

35  thousand  asses,  and  thirty  and  two  thousand 
persons  in  all,  of  the  women  that  had  not  known 

36  uuui  by  lying  with  him.  And  tlie  half,  which 
was  the  portion  of  them  that  went  out  to  war, 
was  in  number  three  hundred  thousand  and 
thirty  thousand  and  seven  tliousund  and  five 

37  hundred  sheep:  and  the  Lord's  tribute  of  the 
sheep  was  six  hundred  and  threeseore  and  fif- 

38  teen.  And  the  beeves  were  thirtv  and  six  thou- 
sand ;   of  which  the  Lord's  tribute  was  three- 

39  score  and  twelve.  And  the  asses  were  thirty 
thousand  and  five  hundred  ;  of  which  the  Lord's 

40  tribute  was  threescore  and  one.  And  the  per- 
sons were  sixteen  thousand  ;  of  whum  tlie  Lord's 

41  tribute  was  thirty  and  two  persons.  And  Moses 
gave  the  tribute,  which  was  the  Lord's  heave 
offering,  unto   Eleazar  the  priest,  as  the  Lord 

42  commanded  Hoses.  And  of  the  ciiildren  of 
Israel's  half,  which  Moses  divided  off  from  the 

43  men  that  warred,  (now  the  congregation's  half 
was  three  hundred  thousand  and  thirty  thou- 
sand, seven  thousand  and  five  hundred  sheep, 

44,  45  and   thirty  and  six  thousand   beeves,   and 

46  thirty  thousand  and  five  hundred  asses,  and  six- 

47  teen  thousand  persons  ;)  even  of  the  children  of 
Israel's  half,  Moses  took  one  drawn  out  of  every 
fifty,  both  of  man  and  of  beast,  and  gave  them 
unto  the  Levites,  which  kept  the  charge  of  the 
tabernacle  of  the  Lord  ;  as  tlie  Lord  commanded 

48  Moses.  And  the  officers  which  were  over  the 
thousands  of  the  host,  the  captains  of  thousands, 
and  the  captains  of  hundreds,  cumo  near  unto 

49  Moses  :  and  they  said  unto  Moses,  Thy  servants 
have  taken  the  sum  of  the  men  of  war  which 
are  under  our  charge,  and  there  lacketh  not  one 

50  man  of  us.  And  we  have  brought  the  Lord's 
oblation,  what  every  man  hath  gotten,  of  jewels 
of  gold,  ankle  chains,  and  bracelets,  signet- 
rings,  earrings,  and  armlets,  to  make  atonement 

51  for  our  souls  before  the  Lord.  And  Moses  and 
Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  gold  of  them,  even 

52  all  wrought  jewels.  And  all  the  gold  of  the 
heave  offering  that  they  offered  up  to  the  Lord, 
of  the  captains  of  thousands,  and  of  the  cap)- 
tains  of  hundreds,  was  sixteen  thousand  seven 


rings,  and  arm-bands,  the  negotiable  wealth  of 
their  adversaries.  In  the  absence  of  any  sys- 
tem of  banking,  or  any  secure  place  to  lay  up 
money,  Oriental,  and  especially  nomadic,  peo- 
ple are  in  the  habit  of  turning  their  portable 
wealth  into  jewels  and  ornaments  which  they 
wear  on  their  persons.  The  Midianitos,  who 
were  placed  on  the  same  footing  in  popular  esti- 
mation with  the  Ishmaelites,  were  noted  for 
wearing  ear-rings  or  nose-rings  (Judg.  8 :  24).  This 
portable  spoil  the  officers  brought  to  Mo.ses  and 
Eleazar  as  an  "  atonement  for  their  souls  before 
Jehovah"    (ver.   50)  i.  e.,  an  oflering,  like  the 

"over  and  above  the  bootv  which  the  men  of  war  took  "— z.  e.,  perhaps  spoil 

;rson,  such  as  gold  ornaments— was  as  follows  :  Sheep,  675,000 :  cattle,  72,000 ; 

Of  this  quantity  the  soldiers' half  amounted  to:   Sheep,  337,500;  cattle, 


between  warriors  in  active  conflict  and  warriors 
on  sentry  duty ;  while  here  it  is  between  non- 
productive soldiers  and  presumably  prosperous 
civilians.  1 

48-54.  The  officers  reported  to  Moses  the 
astounding  fact  that  all  this  slaughter  and  cap- 
turing of  spoil  had  been  accomplished  without 
the  loss  of  a  man  (ver.  49).  The  warriors  evi- 
dently encountered  no  resistance  on  the  part  of 
the  Midianites,  and  probably  routed  them  by  a 
sudden  attack.  They  and  their  men  had  taken 
an  immense  quantity  of  gold  trinkets  consisting 
of   ankle-chains,    bracelets,    signet-rings,   ear- 

■*  The  amount  of  the  spoil 
that  could  be  carried  on  the  persoi 

asses,  61,000;   maidens,  :^.2.000.    Of  .— ^  ^ .,    ---  ,  .       -  c,u         ^- 

36,000;  asses,  30,500;  maidens,  16,000;  of  which  .Jehovnh's  five-hundredth  for  tlie  priests  was:  Sheep,  6/.->; 
cattle,  72 :  asses.  61 ;  maidens,  32,  while  of  each  kind  the  tribute,  or  Vrumah,  which  came  from  the  people  s 
half  for  the  Levites  was  ten  times  as  much. 


126 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXII. 


53  {For  the  men  of  war  had  taken  spoil,  every 
man  for  himself.) 

54  And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  gold 
of  the  captains  of  tliuusands  and  of  hundreds,  and 
brought  it  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation, 
for  a  memorial  for  the  children  of  Israel  before  the 
Lord. 

CHAPTER 

1  NOW  the  children  of  Reuben  and  the  children 
of  Gad  had  a  very  great  multitude  of  cattle  :  and 
when  they  saw  the  land  of  Jazer,  and  the  land  of 
Gilead,  that,  behold,  the  place  was  a  place  for  cattle ; 

2  The  children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of  Reu- 
ben came  and  spake  unto  Moses,  and  to  Eleazar  the 
priest,  and  unto  the  princes  of  the  congregation, 
saying, 

3  Ataroth,  and  Dibon,  and  Jazer,  and  Nimrah, 
and  Heshbon,  and  Elealeh,  and  Shebam,  and  Nebo, 
and  Beon, 

4  Even  the  country  which  the  Lord  smote  before 
the  congregation  of  Israel,  is  a  land  for  cattle,  and 
thy  servants  have  cattle  : 

5  Wherefore,  said  they,  if  we  have  found  grace 
in  thy  sight,  let  this  land  be  given  unto  thy  servants 
for  a  possession,  and  bring  us  not  over  Jordan. 


53  hundred  and  fifty  shekels.    {For  the  men  of  war 

54  had  taken  booty,  every  man  for  himself.)  And 
Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  took  the  gold  of  the 
captains  of  thousands  and  of  hundreds,  and 
brought  it  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  for  a  memo- 
rial for  the  children  of  Israel  before  the  Lord. 

XXXII. 

1  NOW  the  children  of  Reuben  and  the  children 
of  Gad  had  a  very  great  multitude  of  cattle  :  and 
when  they  saw  the  land  of  Jazer,  and  the  land 
of  Gilead,  that,  behold,  the  place  was  a  place  for 

2  cattle ;  the  children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of 
Reuben  came  and  spake  unto  Moses,  and  to 
Eleazar  the  priest,  and  unto  the  princes  of  the 

3  congregation,  saying,  Ataroth,  and  Dibon,  and 
Jazer,  and  Nimrah,  and  Heshbon,  and  Elealeh, 

4  and  Sebam,  and  Nebo,  and  Beon,  the  land 
which  the  Lord  smote  before  the  congregation 
of  Israel,  is  a  land  for  cattle,  and  tliy  servants 

5  have  cattle.  And  tliey  said,  If  we  have  found 
grace  in  thy  sight,  let  this  land  be  given  unto 
thy  servants  for  a  possession ;  bring  us  not  over 


half-shekel  tax  in  Exod.  30  :  15,  16,  intended  to 
confirm  them  in  the  favor  of  God.  Like  that 
half-shekel  oifering  too,  it  was  received  in  the 
tabernacle  as  a  memorial  for  the  children 
of  Israel  (ver.  54;  cf.  Eiod.  30 :  16),  The  valuc  of 
the  gold  amounted  to  16,750  shekels,  which, 
reckoning  the  gold  shekel  at  £1.15  to  the  shekel, 
would  be  over  $96,000 ;  or,  reckoning,  with 
Kautzsch,  at  £2  or  $10  to  the  shekel,  $160,750. 
A  reference  to  the  wealth  of  the  Midianites  in 
gold  ornaments  is  found  in  Judg.  8  :  24-26. 


Chap.  32,  Allotment  of  the  ter- 
ritory EAST  OF  the  Jordan.  1-5.  This 
account  of  the  allotment  of  the  territory  east  of 
the  Jordan  to  Eeiiben,  Gad,  and  the  half-tribe 
of  Manasseh  is  paralleled  in  Deut.  3  :  12-20, 
only  there  Moses,  as  the  speaker,  according  to 
the  characteristic  habit  of   Deuteronomy   (see 

e.  g.,  Deut.  1  :  9-18,  as   compared  with    Exod.    18  :  13-26) ^  rC- 

counts  the  transaction  as  if  it  were  done  at  his 
own  initiative.  The  tribe  of  Reuben  comes 
first  in  order  of  mention  only  in  ver.  1,  while 
in  all  later  mentions  of  the  tribes  together  in 
this  chapter  Gad  is  given  the  precedence.  The 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh  does  not  figure  in  the 
account  until  ver.  33.  The  two  tribes  of  Reuben 
and  Gad  seem  to  have  been  distinguished  among 
the  tribes  for  their  extensive  ownership  of  cattle 
(ver.  i)j  the  statement  being  literally:  "And 
much  cattle  belonged  to  the  sons  of  Reuben  and 
Gad,  very  strong."  The  names,  "land  of 
Ja'azer"  and  "land  of  Gilead"  are  inclusive 
terms  for  the  region  described  by  its  principal 
cities  in  ver,  3.  Ja'azer  was  so  prominent  a 
city  that  it  gave  its  name  to  that  region  of  Gil- 
ead in  which  it  was  situated  (of.  21  :  32).  The 
territory  east  of  the  Jordan,  much  of  which  is 


still  remarkable  for  the  richness  of  its  pasture 
land  as  compared  with  western  Palestine,  is 
thus  outlined  by  Professor  Smith  :  "  When  we 
pass  back  into  the  Old  Testament  we  .  .  .  find 
eastern  Palestine,  .  .  known  as  Over-Jordan 
or  *  Abarim,'  divided  into  three  parts.  But  the 
lines  of  division  are  not  now  Yarmuk  and  Jab- 
bok,  but  Yarmuk  and  that  line  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  south  of  Jabbok,  which  divides  the 
table-laud  of  Moab  from  the  ridges  to  the  north 
of  it.  All  on  the  south  of  this  to  the  Arnon  is 
Mishor,  or  table-land ;  all  to  the  north  of  it,  as 
far  as  the  Yarmuk  is  Gilead ;  and  all  to  the 
north  of  Yarmuk  is  Bashan.  The  Mishor,  or 
table-land,  covered  the  southern  half  of  the 
Belka'.  It  was  sometimes  called  the  Mishor  of 
Medeba  (Josh.  13  :  9,  16),  which  town  on  a  high 
mound  is  conspicuous  across  the  whole  of  it. 
It  was  also  the  Sharon  of  eastern  Palestine. 
The  rest  of  the  Belka*,  from  Heshbon  to  the 
Jabbok,  formed  the  southern  half  of  Gilead ; 
the  other  half  lay  between  Jabbok  and  Yarmuk, 
and  was  therefore  equivalent  to  the  modern  dis- 
trict of  'Ajlun.  The  whole  region  was  called 
Gilead,  the  Land  of  Gilead,  and  Mount  Gilead, 
the  last  of  which  names  still  survives  upon  the 
long  ridge  south  of  the  Jabbok,  the  Jebel  Jela- 
'ad."  The  representatives  of  the  two  tribes  in- 
dicated to  Moses  that  the  territory  controlled  by 
the  cities  named  in  ver.  3  had  been  subdued  in 
the  campaign  against  Sihon  (ver.  4;  cf.  chap.  21  : 
21-31),  and  was  therefore  unoccupied  and  avail- 
able for  settlement.  The  names  of  these  cities 
recur,  with  some  variations  in  form,  in  ver.  34- 
38.  The  admirable  adaptation  of  the  region  for 
grazing  awakened  their  enthusiasm.  The  re- 
quest in  ver.  5,  bring  us  not  over  Jordan, 
indicates  that,  even  now  at  the  very  beginning 


Ch.  XXXII.] 


NUMBERS 


127 


6  And  Moses  said  unto  the  children  of  Gad  and 
to  the  children  of  Reuben,  Shall  your  brethren  go 
to  war,  and  sliall  ye  sit  here? 

7  And  wherefore  discourage  ye  the  heart  of  the 
children  of  Israel  from  going  over  into  the  laud 
which  the  Lord  hath  given  them? 

8  Thus  did  your  fathers,  when  I  sent  them  from 
Kadesh-barnea  to  see  the  land. 

9  For  when  they  went  up  unto  the  valley  of 
Eshcol,  and  saw  the  land,  they  discouraged  the 
heart  of  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  should 
not  go  into  the  land  which  the  Lord  had  given 
them. 

10  And  the  Lord's  anger  was  kindled  the  same 
time,  and  he  sware,  saying, 

11  Surely  none  of  the  men  that  came  up  out  of 
Egypt,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  shall  see 
the  land  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac, 
and  unto  Jacob ;  because  they  have  not  wholly 
followed  me: 

12  Save  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenezite, 
and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  :  for  they  have  wholly 
followed  the  Lord. 

13  And  the  Lord's  anger  was  kindled  against 
Israel,  and  he  made  them  wander  in  the  wilder- 
ness forty  years,  until  all  the  generation,  that  had 
done  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  was  consumed. 

14  And,  behold,  ye  are  risen  up  in  your  fathers' 
stead,  an  increase  of  sinful  men,  to  augment  yet 
the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  toward  Israel. 

15  For  if  ye  turn  away  from  after  him,  he  will 
yet  again  leave  them  in  the  wilderness;  and  ye 
shall  destroy  all  this  people. 


6  Jordan.  And  Moses  said  unto  the  children  of 
Gad  and  to  the  children  of  Reuben,  Sliiill  vour 
brethren  go  to  the  war,  and  shall  ye  sit  here? 

7  And  wherefore  discourage  ye  the  heart  of  the 
children  of  Israel  from  going  over  into  the  land 

8  which  the  Lord  hatli  given  them?  Thus  did 
your  fathers,  when  I  sent  tliem  from  Kadesh- 

9  barnea  to  .see  the  land.  For  u  heu  they  went  up 
unto  the  valley  of  Kshcol,  and  saw  the  land, 
they  discournged  the  heart  of  the  ciiildren  of 
Israel,  that  lliuy  should  not  go  into  the  land 

10  which  the  Lord  had  given  tliem.  And  the 
Lord's  anger  was  kindled  in  tliat  day,  and  lie 

11  sware,  saying.  Surely  none  of  the  men  that  came 
up  out  of  Egypt,  from  twenty  years  old  and  up- 
ward, shall  see  the  land  which  I  sware  unio 
Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unio  Jacob;  becanse 

12  they  have  not  wholly  followed  me:  save  Caleb 
the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenizzite,  and  Joshua 
the  sou  of  Nun:  because  they  liave  wholly  fol- 

13  lowed  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord's  anger  was 
kindled  against  Israel,  and  he  made  them  wan- 
der to  and  fro  in  the  wilderness  foity  years, 
until  all  the  generation,  that  liad  done  evil  in 

14  tlie  sight  of  the  Lord,  was  consumed.  And,  be- 
hold, ye  are  risen  up  in  your  fathers'  stead,  an 
increase  of  sinful  men,  to  augment  yet  the  iierce 

15  anger  of  the  Lord  toward  Israel.  For  if  ye  turn 
away  from  after  him,  lie  will  yet  again  leave 
them  in  the  wilderness ;  and  ye  shall  destroy  all 


of  the  great  conquest,  the  campaigning  spirit 
had  completely  left  them.  They  were  full  of 
schemes  for  success  in  the  grazing  and  dairy 
business.  Although  when  their  proposal  was 
set  in  its  true  light  they  were  very  willing  to 
help  their  bi'ethren  in  their  work  of  conquering 
western  Palestine,  yet  it  seems  quite  probable 
that  this  was  not  originally  in  their  thoughts. 
No  wider  principle  had  occurred  to  them  than 
that  those  should  conquer  who  were  to  occupy, 
even  though  they  themselves  were  proposing 
to  settle  in  territory  which  the  united  effort  of 
all  the  tribes  had  laid  open  to  them.  A  certain 
selfish  absorption  in  their  own  prospects,  a  cer- 
tain failure  to  enter  into  the  large  enthusiasm 
of  a  national  destiny,  seems  to  have  character- 
ized them  ;  and  this  with  their  consequent  iso- 
lation from  the  general  interest  kept  them  from 
ever  achieving  their  due  measure  of  greatness. 
In  the  days  of  Deborah,  while  glorious  events 
fitted  to  stir  a  warlike  heart  were  transpiring 
in  west  Palestine,  Reuben,  piping  to  his  flocks, 
rose  no  higher  than  uneasy  searchings  of  heart, 
while  Gilead  abode  supine  beyond  the  Jordan 

(see  Judg.  5  :  15-17), 

6-15.  Moses  set  their  plan  before  them  in 
the  light  of  the  whole  :  Shall  your  brethren 
go  to  war,  and  shall  ye  sit  here  ?  (ver.  6.) 
His  particular  solicitude  was  lest  this  breaking 
up  of  the  general  enthusiasm  into  isolated  in- 
terests should  disincline  the  heai'ts  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  from  going  over  into  the  land 
destined  for  them   (ver.  7).    He  had  seen  the 


eagerness  and  courage  of  the  preceding  genera- 
tion come  up  to  the  testing-point  and  then  ooze 
out  before  the  disheartening  influence  of  a  few 
panic-stricken  spies  (ver.  8,  9) ;  it  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that,  in  the  sluggish  vitality  of  his 
old  age,  he  should  tremble  for  the  enthusiasm 
of  their  untried  descendants  subjected  to  the 
chill  of  preoccupation  and  reluctance  on  the 
part  of  a  considerable  fraction  of  their  number. 
He  recounted  the  history  of  that  notable  coward- 
ice of  the  spies  and  of  the  divine  sentence  and 
the  nightmare  of  wandering  which  followed  it ; 
and  then  in  stern  rebuke  he  characterized  his 
petitioners  as  an  "  increase  "  or  "  crop  "  of  sin- 
ful men  risen  up  in  their  fathers'  stead  (ver.  u), 
whose  discouraging  attitude  might  easily  pro- 
voke another  divine  sentence  of  wilderness- 
wandering,  and  be  responsible  for  tln»  destruc- 
tion of  all  that  was  distinctive  in  the  life  of 
Israel  (ver.  15).  If  it  were  thought  worth  while 
to  refer  to  the  critical  analysis  of  this  section, 
we  might  observe  that  whoever  has  put  this 
chapter  into  its  present  form  has  drawn  quite 
impartially  upon  both  of  tlie  manifestly  dis- 
tinct accounts  of  the  spies  (»<?«  com.  on  chap.  13,  u), 

making  the  journey  end  at  Eschol  with  JE  (ver. 
9;  cf.  13 :  24)  and  yet  including  both  Caleb  and 
Joshua  as  exceptions  to  tlie  general  cowardice 
with  P  (ver.  12;  cf.  14  :  6,  30)  ;  while  thc  form 
Kadesh-barnea  (ver.  8)  is  con.xidered  by  critics 
as  a  mark  of  the  Deuterononiist.  Caleb  is  here 
called  (ver.  12)  a  Kenizzitc ,  or descendant oftlic 
Edomite  Kenaz  (g.d.  36:ii),  just  as  in  Josh. 


128 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXII. 


16  And  they  came  near  unto  him,  and  said,  We 
will  build  slieepfolds  liere  for  our  cattle,  and  cities 
for  our  little  ones : 

17  Uut  we  ourselves  will  go  ready  armed  before 
the  children  of  Israel,  until  we  have  brought  them 
unto  their  place :  and  our  little  ones  shall  dwell  in 
the  fenced  cities  because  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land. 

18  We  will  not  return  unto  our  houses,  until  the 
children  of  Israel  have  inherited  every  man  his 
inheritance. 

19  For  we  will  not  inherit  with  them  on  yonder 
side  Jordan,  or  forward  ;  because  our  inheritance 
is  fallen  to  us  on  this  side  Jordan  eastward. 

20  And  Moses  said  unto  them,  If  ye  will  do  this 
thing,  if  ye  will  go  armed  before  the  Lord  to  war, 

21  And  will  go  all  of  you  armed  over  Jordan 
before  the  Lord,  until  lie  hath  driven  out  his 
enemies  from  before  him, 

22  And  the  land  be  subdued  before  the  Lord : 
then  afterward  ye  shall  return,  and  be  guiltless 
before  the  Lord,  and  before  Israel ;  and  this  land 
shall  be  your  possession  before  the  Lord. 

23  But  if  ye  will  not  do  so,  behold,  ye  have 
sinned  against  the  Lord  :  and  be  sure  your  sin  will 
find  you  out. 

24  Build  you  cities  for  your  little  ones,  and  folds 
for  your  sheep ;  and  do  that  which  hath  proceeded 
out  of  your  mouth. 

25  And  the  children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of 
Reuben  spake  unto  Moses,  saying,  Thy  servants 
will  do  as  my  lord  commandeth. 

26  Our  little  ones,  our  wives,  our  flocks,  and  all 
our  cattle,  shall  be  there  in  the  cities  of  Gilead  : 

27  But  thy  servants  will  pass  over,  every  man 
armed  for  war,  before  the  Lord  to  battle,  as  my 
lord  saith. 

28  So  concerning  them  Moses  commanded  Eleazar 
the  priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  the  chief 
fathers  of  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel : 


16  this  people.  And  they  came  near  unto  him,  and 
said,  We  will  build  sheepfolds  here  for  our  cattle, 

17  and  cities  for  our  little  ones :  but  we  ourselves 
will  be  ready  armed  to  go  before  the  children  of 
Israel,  until  we  have  brought  them  unto  their 
place:  and  our  little  ones  shall  dwell  in  the 
fenced  cities  because  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 

18  land.  We  will  not  return  unto  our  houses,  until 
the  children  of  Israel  have  inherited  every  man 

19  his  inheritance.  For  we  will  not  inherit  with 
them  on  the  other  side  Jordan,  and  forward  ; 
because  our  inheritance  is  fallen  to  us  on  this 

20  side  Jordan  eastward.  And  Moses  said  unto 
them,  If  ye  will  do  this  thing ;  if  ye  will  arm 

21  yourselves  to  go  before  the  Lord  to  the  war,  and 
every  armed  man  of  you  will  pass  over  Jordan 
before  the  Lord,  until  he  hath  driven  out  his 

22  enemies  from  before  him,  and  the  land  be  sub- 
dued before  the  Lord :  then  afterward  ye  shall 
return,  and  be  guiltless  towards  the  Lord,  and 
towards  Israel ;  and  this  land  shall  be  unto  you 

23  for  a  possession  before  the  Lord.  But  if  ye  will 
not  do  so,  behold,  ye  have  sinned  against  the 
Lord :  and  be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out. 

24  Build  you  cities  for  your  little  ones,  and  folds 
for  your  sheep ;  and  do  that  which  hath  pro- 

25  ceeded  out  of  your  mouth.  And  the  children  of 
Gad  and  the  children  of  Reuben  spake  unto 
Moses,  saying.  Thy  servants  will  do  as  my  lord 

26  commandeth.  Our  little  ones,  our  wives,  our 
flocks,  and  all  our  cattle,  shall  be  there  in  the 

27  cities  of  Gilead  :  but  thy  servants  will  pass  over, 
every  man  that  is  armed  for  war,  before  the 
Lord  to  battle,  as  my  lord  saith. 

28  So  Moses  gave  charge  concerning  them  to 
Eleazar  the  priest,  and  to  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  and  to  the  heads  of  the  fathers'  houses  of 


14  :  6,  14,  and  just  as  his  brother  is  called  a  son 
of  Kenaz  in  Josh.  15  :  17 ;  Judg.  1  :  13 ;  while 
in  the  passages  assigned  by  critics  to  P  he  is 
designated  as  simply  a  descendant  of  Judah 
(13 :  6 ;  34  :  19).  He  was  Undoubtedly  a  Judahite 
with  an  admixture  of  foreign  blood. 

16-27.  While  this  answer  on  the  part  of  the 
two  tribes  is  not  such  a  direct  defense  against 
Moses'  strong  arraignment  as  would  be  called 
forth  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  yet  it  is  just 
such  an  answer  as  would  naturally  be  presented 
after  the  tribes  had  conferred  together,  in  view 
of  their  lawgiver's  attitude,  and  formulated  a 
policy.  The  sheepfolds  (ver.  le)  were  rough  en- 
closures of  stones  piled  upon  each  other  into 
which  the  sheep  could  be  driven  at  night.  The 
building  of  cities  was  doubtless  the  rebuilding 
and  fortifying  of  the  dismantled  cities  which 
had  been  taken  by  the  children  of  Israel.  The 
word  translated  little  ones  is  here  taken  as 
including  the  wives  and  meaning  substantially 
dependents  or  non-combatants  in  general.  In 
ver.  26  it  is  used  in  a  more  restricted  sense. 
The  Reubenites  and  Gadites  engaged  to  arm 
themselves  ready,  or,  at  a  moment's  notice  (ver. 
If)  in  presence  of  the  children  of  Israel — or, 
as  they  put  it  after  the  more  theocratic  key  had 
been  set  by  Moses  (see  ver.  20, 21, 27, 29,  S2)^  in  pres- 


ence of  Jehovah — and  not  to  return  to  their 
homes  until  every  man  of  their  brethren  had 
obtained  his  inheritance  (ver.  is).  They  re- 
nounced all  claim  to  a  possession  over  Jordan 
and  beyond,  and  expressed  themselves  in  their 
eagerness  as  having  already  secured  just  the 
place  for  them  this  side  Jordan  eastward 
(ver.  19).  On  hearing  their  proposal  Moses  re- 
plied that  if  these  conditions  should  be  faith- 
fully fulfilled  they  might  return  to  their  chosen 
possession  with  the  consciousness  of  having  met 
all  the  claims  of  religion  and  patriotism  (ver.  22)  ; 
but  if  not,  his  first  apprehension  would  be  seen 
to  be  correct  and  they  would  be  proven  guilty 
of  a  sinful  supineness  which  would  bring  a 
sure  retribution  (ver.  23).  He  then  issued  formal 
orders  for  them  to  build  cities  and  folds  and  do 
as  they  had  proposed  (ver.  24),  to  which  they 
gave  a  formal  assent  and  promise  (ver.  25-27). 

28-33.  Moses  now  gave  directions  to  those 
under  whose  supervision  the  final  allotment 
after  the  conquest  would  fall  (ver.  28;  cf.  34 :  16 
seq.)  that  under  the  specified  conditions  the  tribes 
of  Gad  and  Reuben  were  to  have  the  land  of 
Gilead  for  a  possession.  This  involved  not  only 
an  exception  to  the  regulation  already  formu- 
lated, namely,  that  choice  of  territory  should  be 
by  lot  (see  26  :  55),  but  most  probably  an  addition 


Ch.  XXXII.] 


NUMBERS 


129 


29  And  Moses  said  unto  them,  If  the  children  of 
Gad  and  the  children  of  Reuben  will  pass  with  you 
over  Jordan,  every  man  armed  to  battle,  before  the 
Lord,  and  the  land  shall  be  subdued  before  you ; 
then  ye  shall  give  them  the  land  of  Gilead  for  a 
possession : 

30  But  If  they  will  not  pass  over  with  you  armed, 
they  shall  have  possessions  among  you  in  the  land 
of  Canaan. 

31  And  the  children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of 
Reuben  answered,  saying,  As  the  Lord  hath  said 
unto  thy  servants,  so  will  we  do. 

32  We  will  pass  over  armed  before  the  Lord  into 
the  land  of  Canaan,  that  the  possession  of  our  in- 
heritance on  this  side  Jordan  may  be  ours. 

33  And  Moses  gave  unto  them,  even  to  the  chil- 
dren of  Gad,  aud  to  the  children  of  Reuben,  and 
unto  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  the  son  of  Joseph, 
the  kingdom  of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  and 
the  kingdom  of  Og  king  of  Bashan,  the  land,  with 
the  cities  thereof  in  the  coasts,  even  the  cities  of 
the  country  round  about. 

34  And  the  children  of  Gad  built  Dibon,  and 
Ataroth,  and  Aroer, 

35  And  Atroth,  Shophan,  and  Jaazer,  and  Jog- 
behah, 

36  And  Beth-nimrah,  and  Beth-haran,  fenced 
cities :  and  folds  for  sheep. 

37  And  the  children  of  Reuben  built  Heshbon, 
and  Elealeh,  and  Kirjathaim, 


29  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  And  Moses 
said  unto  them.  If  the  children  of  Gad  aud  tlie 
children  of  Reuben  will  pa.ss  with  you  over  Jor- 
dan, every  man  that  is  armed  to  battle,  befcjre 
the  Lord,  and  the  laud  shall  be  suljdued  before 
you  ;  then  ye  shall  give  them  tlie  laud  of  Gileud 

30  for  a  possession :  but  if  thoy  will  not  pass  over 
with  you  armed,   they  sha'll   have  possessions 

31  among  you  in  the  laud  of  Canaan.  And  the 
children  of  Gad  and  the  children  of  Reuben 
answered,  saying,  As  the  Lord  hath  saitl  unto 

32  thy  servants,  so  will  we  do.  We  will  piuss  over 
armed  before  the  Lord  into  the  land  oi  Canaan, 
and  the  possession  of  our  inheritance  shall  re- 

33  main  with  us  beyond  Jordan.  And  Moses  gave 
unto  them,  even  to  the  children  of  Gad,  and  to 
the  children  of  Reuben,  and  unto  the  half  tribe 
of  Manasseh  the  son  of  Joseph,  the  kingdom  of 
Sihon  king  of  tlie  Amorites,  and  the  kingdom  of 
Og  king  of  Bashan,  the  land,  according  to  the 
cities  thereof  with  their  borders,  even  the  cities 

34  of  the  land  round  about.    And  the  children  of 

35  Gad  built  Dibon,  and  Ataroth,  and  Aroer;  and 

36  Atroth-shophan,  and  Jazer,  and  Jogbehah  ;  and 
Beth-nimrah,  and  Beth-haran  :  fenced  cities,  and 

37  folds  for  sheep.  And  the  children  of  Reuben 
built  Heshbon,  and  Elealeh,  and  Kiriathaim; 


to  the  total  of  territory  to  be  divided,  which 
evidently  according  to  the  original  plan  in- 
cluded only  western  Palestine.  In  the  event 
of  their  failure  to  meet  the  requirement  they 
should  he  made  to  possess  among  their  brethren 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Jordan  (ver.  so).  This 
would  involve  a  more  or  less  forcible  trans- 
planting, as  the  act  of  recreancy  would  consist 
in  settling  where  they  were.  In  other  words, 
settlement  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan  would  en- 
tail restriction  to  western  Palestine.  Perhaps 
when  this  formal  arrangement  was  made  the 
parties  did  not  realize  how  much  trouble  they 
were  laying  up  for  themselves  among  the  tribes 
in  the  event  of  the  agreement  not  being  fulfilled. 
As  it  turned  out  the  promise  was  strictly  kept 
(see  Josh.  22 : 1-3) ;  butcvcn  then  the  tribes  on  the 
east  of  the  Jordan  were  felt  to  have  a  certain 
remoteness  and  diversity  of  interest  from  their 
brethren,  so  that  their  first  public  act  after  their 
return  home  subjected  them  to  a  suspicion  and 
religious  jealousy  on  the  part  of  the  other  tribes 
which  almost  provoked  a  civil  war  (see  Josh.  22  :  9, 
seq.).  The  summary  ver.  33,  which  is  thought 
by  some  to  be  a  later  addition,  introduces  for  the 
first  time  the  half-  tribe  of  Manasseh,  and  in  a 
generalized  way  describes  the  possession  of 
these  two-and-a-half  tribes  as  the  kingdoms  of 
Sihon  and  Og  with  their  dependent  cities  and 
the  environs. 

34-42.  The  towns  which  the  children  of  Gad 
rebuilt  and  fortified  (ver.  34-36)  comprised  three 
groups  or  settlements :  a  Dibon  group  consisting 
of  the  first  four  cities,  Dibon,  Ataroth,  Ar- 
oer, and  Atroth-shophan,  or  the  Shophan 


Ataroth ;  a  couple  consisting  of  Jaazer  and  its 
neighboring  city  of  Jogbehah  ;  and  a  Jordan 
valley  group  consisting  of  the  towns  Ueth- 
nimrah  and  Beth-haran.  The  first  or  Dibon 
settlement  was  considerably  separated  from  the 
others,  being  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Mishor 
or  table-land  of  Medeba  and  not  far  from  the 
banks  of  the  Arnon.  The  four  cities  lay  near 
each  other.  These  cities  in  the  final  settlement 
appear  to  have  passed  to  the  tribe  of  Reuben, 
whose  possession  lay  to  the  south  and  entirely 
outside  of  Gilead  and  extended  to  the  Arnon. 
Dibon,  called  from  this  tribe  Dibon-gad  in  33  : 
45,  46,  is  spoken  of  by  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  as  a 
Moabite  town  (isa.  15  : 2;  jer.  48 :  18,22)^  having 
probably  been  recaptured  by  the  ^loabitcs  be- 
fore the  time  of  these  prophets.  It  was  at  tliis 
place,  the  modern  Bhiban,  tliat  the  Moabite 
stone,  or  stone  of  Mesha,  was  found  in  1868. 
The  second  group,  Ja'azer  on  the  table-land  far 
up  from  the  Jordan  and  almost  due  east  from 
Jericho,  and  Jogbehah  consideral)l y  to  the  north 
over  half-way  to  the  Jabbok,  came  within  the 
southern  portion  of  the  territory  called  Gilead  ; 
while  the  third  pair,  Beth-nimrah — abbreviated 
to  Nimrah  in  ver.  3 — and  Beth-haran,  were  in 
the  Jordan  valley  and  could  hardly  have  been 
occupied  exclusively  by  the  Gadites  until  after 
the  Israelites  had  moved  over  the  Jordan,  as 
these  cities  must  have  lain  within  the  limits  of 
the  camp  where  they  were  now  abiding. 

The  cities  which  the  Reubenites  fortifietl  (ver. 
37,  38)  were  rather  closely  grouped  around  the 
central  city  of  Heshbon  which  had  been  Sihon's 
capital  (see  21 :  26),  and  with  their  environs  could 


130 


KUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXIT. 


38  And  Mebo,  and  Baal-meon,  (their  names  being 
changed,)  and  Shibmah:  and  gave  other  names 
unto  the  cities  which  they  builded. 

39  And  the  children  of  Machir  the  son  of  Manas- 
seh  went  to  Gilead,  and  tooli  it,  and  dispossessed 
the  Amorite  wtiich  wds  in  it. 

40  And  Moses  gave  Gilead  unto  Machir  the  son  of 
Manasseh  ;  and  he  dwelt  therein. 

41  And  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh  w^ent  and  took 
the  small  towns  thereof,  and  called  them  Havoth- 
jair. 

42  And  Nobah  w^ent  and  took  Kenath,  and  the 
villages  thereof,  and  called  it  Nobah,  after  his 
uwn  name. 


38  and  Nebo,  and  Baal-meon,  (their  names  being 
changed,)  and  Sibmah  :  and  gave  other  names 

39  unto  the  cities  which  they  builded.  And  the 
children  of  Machir  the  son  of  Manasseh  went  to 
Gilead,  and  took  it,  and  dispossessed  the  Amor- 

40  ites  which  were  therein.  And  Moses  gave  Gil- 
ead unto  Machir  the  son  of  Manasseh  ;  and  he 

41  dwelt  therein.  And  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh 
went  and  took  the  towns  thereof,  and  called 

42  them  Havoth-jair.  And  Nobah  went  and  took 
Kenath,  and  the  villages  thereof,  and  called  it 
Nobah,  after  liis  own  name. 


have  occupied  only  a  small  part  of  the  territory 
which  afterward  fell  to  Reuben  (see  josh,  is :  15, 
seq.)  Baal-meon  and  Shibmah  appear  in 
ver.  3  as  Beon  and  Sebam.  Nebo  was  retaken  by 
Mesha  about  895  b.  C,  as  the  Moabite  stone 
records;  hence  Isaiah  (is  :  2)  and  Jeremiah  (48 : 
1)  speak  of  it  as  a  Moabite  town.  Shibmah,  or 
Sibmah,  became  noted  for  its  vines  (isa.  16  :  8). 
The  parenthetic  phrase,  their  names  being 
changed  (ver.  38) ^  referring  to  the  names  Nebo 
and  Baal-meon  as  embodying  the  names  of 
heathen  gods,  is  probably  a  late  gloss  or  direc- 
tion to  the  reader,  prompted  by  the  prejudice 
which  arose  against  taking  the  names  of  heathen 

divinities  upon  the  lips  (see  Rosea  2  :  17  ;  Deut.  12  :  3)^ 

and  means  that  the  public  reader  is  to  make  a 
substitution  of  something  else  when  these  names 
are  encountered.  This  is  a  different  thing  from 
the  deliberate  renaming  of  places  mentioned  in 
the  last  clause  of  the  verse.  The  Reubenites 
"  probably  at  the  partition  retained  all  these 
cities  with  the  exception  of  Heshbon  itself, 
which,  passing  to  the  Levites,  was  thenceforth 
reckoned  as  within  the  tribe  of  Gad." 

The  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  mentioned  in  ver. 
33  evidently  consisted  simply  of  the  line  of 
Machir.  The  children  of  Machir  came  into  pos- 
session of  Gilead,  i.  e.,  the  northern  part  of 
Gilead  and  Bashan,  purely  on  account  of  their 
prowess,  by  which  they  had  gained  an  actual 
lodgment  there  (ver.  39;  Josh.  17 :  1).  Machir,  the 
ancestor,  whose  sons  had  been  born  upon 
Joseph's  knees  (Gen.  50  :  23)^  belonged  to  a  gen- 
eration far  back :  but  the  renown  of  his  de- 
scendants had  raised  the  family  almost  to  the 
dignity  of  a  tribe.  Machir  is  mentioned  in  the 
song  of  Deborah  (Judg.  5  :  u)  by  the  side  of 
Ephraim  and  Benjamin  as  if  he  were  of  co-ordi- 
nate rank.  Jair  (ver.  41)  was  the  son  or  descend- 
ant of  Manasseh  through  his  grandmother, 
while  in  the  male  line  he  traced  his  descent 

from    Judah  (1    Chron.    2  :  21,  22;   cf.  com.    on   27  :  1-5). 

The  fame  of  his  family  was  augmented  by  one 
of  the  judges  of  Israel  of  the  same  name,  prob- 
ably a  descendant  (Judg.  lo  :  3)  ;  and  the  name 
was  still  prominent  in  this  region  at  the  time  of 


Christ  (Luke  8  :  41).  He  went  and  took  their 
(thereof,  of  them)  tent- villages,  or  havvoth, 
i.  e.,  the  tent- villages  of  the  Araorites  men- 
tioned in  ver.  39,  and  called  them  Havoth- 
jair.  According  to  a  somewhat  doubtful  pas- 
sage in  Deut.  3  :  14,  these  havvoth  are  spoken 
of  as  in  Bashan  or  Argob,  of  which  Jair  is 
there  called  the  conqueror ;  though  here  they 
are  evidently  mentioned  as  in  Gilead,  and  in  1 
Kings  4  :  13  they  are  expressly  placed  there, 
and  distinguished  from  the  cities  of  Argob. 
The  original  "  havvoth-jair  "  were  twenty-three 
in  number  (i  Chron.  2  :  22).  Nobah,  who  does  not 
elsewhere  appear  in  Bible  history,  took  Kenath 
and  its  "daughters,"  or  dependent  villages  (ver. 
42),  thought  to  be  the  same  as  the  modern 
Qanawat,  a  place  where  exist  considerable  ruins 
of  Roman  and  Christian  times  on  the  western 
slopes  of  the  mountains  of  the  Hauran.  Al- 
though he  called  the  place  by  his  name,  and 
the  designation  is  used  in  Judg.  8  :  11,  it  seems 
apparent  that  in  process  of  time  the  ancient 
name  was  resumed. 

The  conquest  of  the  country  to  the  east  of  the 
Jordan  was  never  so  thoroughly  accomplished 
as  that  on  the  western  side  (see  Josh,  is  :  13) ;  and 
these  tribes  were  the  first  to  be  swept  away  by 
the  Assyrians  (1  chron.  5  :  26).  The  pastoral 
tribes  of  Reuben  and  Gad  had,  in  the  early  his- 
tory, anything  but  an  enviable  reputation  for 
public  spirit  ( Ju^g.  5  :  15-17 ;  8 :  4-9) ;  but  the  Ma- 
nassites  rendered  good  service  to  the  nation 
(judg.  5:14).  Gideon,  and  Jephthah  probably, 
were  of  this  tribe.  The  men  of  Jabesh  in 
Gilead,  actuated  by  gratitude  (1  Sam.  11  :  1-11), 
were  faithful  at  risk  of  their  lives  to  their  bene- 
factor Saul  (1  Sam.  31  :  11-13),  It  was  in  this  re- 
gion of  Gilead  that  Abner  kept  alive  the  cause 
of  his  master  for  some  years  after  David  came 
to  the  throne  of  Judah  (2  sam.  2  :  8-11)  ;  here  the 
great  King  David  himself,  fleeing  from  his  son 
Absalom,  found  refuge  and  hospitality  (2  Sam. 
17  :  24-29)  ;  and  onc  of  his  entertainers  on  this 
occasion  perpetuated  in  himself  the  ancient 
name  Machir  (iwd.,  27).  In  the  later  times  of 
the  monarchy  too,  when  the  northern  tribes  had 


Ch.  XXXIII.] 


NUMBERS 


131 


CHAPTER    XXXIII 


1  THESE  are  the  journej's  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, which  went  forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  with 
their  armies  under  the  hand  of  Moses  and  Aaron. 

2  And  Moses  wrote  their  goings  out  according 
to  tlieir  journeys  by  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord :  and  these  are  their  journeys  according  to 
their  goings  out. 

3  And  they  departed  from  Rameses  in  the  first 
month,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  tlie  first  month  ;  on 
the  morrow  after  the  passover  the  cliildren  of  Is- 
rael went  out  with  an  liigti  hand  in  tiie  sigiit  of  all 
the  Egyptians. 

4  For  the  Egyptians  buried  all  their  firstborn, 
which  the  Lord  had  smitten  among  them  :  upou 
their  gods  also  the  Lord  executed  judgments. 

5  And  the  cliildren  of  Israel  removed  from  Ra- 
meses, and  pitched  in  Succotli. 

6  And  they  departed  from  Succoth,  and  pitched 
in  Etham,  which  is  in  the  edge  of  the  wilderness. 

7  And  they  removed  from  Etham,  and  turned 
again  unto  Pihahiroth,  which  is  before  Baalzepiiou : 
and  they  pitched  before  Migdol. 

8  And  they  departed  from  before  Pihahiroth, 
and  passed  througli  tlie  midst  of  tire  sea  into  tlie 


1  THESE  are  the  journeys  of  the  children  of  Is- 
rael, when  they  went  forth  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt  by  their  hosts  under  tlie  hand  of  Moses 

2  and  Aaron.  And  Moses  wrote  their  goings  out 
according  to  their  journeys  by  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord  :  and  these  are  their  journeys 

3  according  t(j  their  goings  out.  And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Rameses  in  the  lirst  month,  on  the 
lifteenlh  day  of  the  lirst  montli  ;  on  the  morrow 
after  the  passover  the  children  of  Israel  went 
out  witli  an  high  himd  in  the  sight  of  all  tiie 

4  Egyptians,  while  the  Egyptians  were  burying  all 
their  fhstborn,  which  the  Lord  liad  sinitleu 
among  them  :  upou  their  gods  also  the  Lord  exe- 

5  cuted  judgements.  And  the  children  of  Israel 
journeyed  from  Rameses,  and  pitched  in  Suc- 

6  coth.  And  they  journeyed  from  Suci-oth,  and 
pitched  in  Etham,  which  is  in  the  edge  of  the 

7  wilderness.  And  they  journeyed  from  Etham, 
and  turned  back  unlo  Pihahiroth,  which  is  be- 
fore Baal-zephon  :  and  they  pitched  before  Mig- 

8  dol.  And  they  journeyed  from  before  Halii- 
roth,  and  passed  through  the  midst  of  the  sea 


fallen  away  from  the  true  God,  the  cause  of  pure 
religion  was  upheld  by  the  prophet  Elijah,  the 
greatest  of  the  inhabitants  of  Gilead  (i  Kings  n :  i). 


Chap.  33.  List  of  the  camping-places 
OF  Israel  from  Rameses  to  the  plains  of 
MoAB.  Directions  respecting  the  occu- 
pation OF  Canaan.  1-4.  This  group  of  verses 
forms  a  sort  of  historical  introduction  to  the  list 
of  camping-places  which  follows.  The  whole 
chapter  in  its  present  form  is  assigned  by  critics 
to  the  source  called  P.  As  to  the  list  of  places, 
the  author  here  claims  to  be  drawing  on  a  writ- 
ten itinerary  which  came  from  the  hand  of 
Moses  himself  (^er.  2) .  Not  unlikely,  at  the  time 
this  chapter  was  written,  there  was  in  existence 
a  list  of  places  which,  coming  down  from  the 
remotest  antiquity,  was  attributed  to  the  great 
lawgiver.  Only  three  or  four  other  sections  of 
the  Pentateuch  are  in  the  text  itself  ascribed  to 
the  hand  of  Moses  as  a  writer :  the  book  of  the 
Covenant  (Exod.  20-23 ;  see  Exod.  24 : 4)^  the  collcction 
of  statutes  in  Exod.  34  :  10-26  (see  ibid.,  27, 28),  the 
record  of  Jehovah's  feud  against  Amalek,  which 
Avas  to  be  preserved  in  writing  for  fulfilment  in 
later  times  (Kxod.  17 :  it)^  and  considerable  por- 
tions of  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  (neut.  31 : 9, 22). 
The  belief  that  Moses  wrote  the  whole  Penta- 
teuch is  derived  from  Jewish  tradition.  This 
historical  proem  appears  to  preserve  closely 
many  of  the  striking  expressions  found  in  the 
account  of  the  departure  from  Egypt  in  Exodus. 
The  place  and  manner  of  setting  out  are  in  ac- 
cordance with  Exod.  12  :  37-41 ;  we  have  the 
going  out  "by  their  hosts"  (ver.  1),  as  in  Exod. 
6  :  26 ;  12  :  41 ;  the  people  go  out  with  an  high 
hand,  as  in  Exod.  14  :  8;  and  judgment  is 


executed  on  the  gods  of  Egypt,  as  in  Exod.  12  : 
12.  That  the  people  should  be  able  to  organize 
themselves  in  fitting  form  and  to  go  out  of 
Egypt  with  a  high  hand,  or  defiantly  and 
openly,  without  immediate  pursuit  is  accounted 
for  here  by  the  fact  that  the  Egyptians  were 
engaged  in  burying  their  dead  firstborn. 

5-15.  In  this  section  we  have  the  stations  of 
the  journey  from  Rameses  to  Sinai,  where  the 
children  of  Israel  remained  for  over  a  year. 
Rameses  and  Succoth  were  districts  or  regions 
rather  than  cities.  Rameses  is  the  land  of 
Goshen.  That  the  children  of  Israel  removed 
from  Rameses  means  that  they  collected 
from  Goshen.  There  was  a  great  host  of  them, 
the  men  alone  numbering  six  hundred  thousand 
(Exod.  12 :  37).  Succoth — a  Ilcbrcw  name  mean- 
ing booths  —  was  a  common  camping-ground 
Avhere  nomads,  or  tenters,  were  in  the  habit  of 
pitching  their  tents.  "  There  was  evidently  a 
region  of  this  sort  between  the  line  of  lakes 
Avhich  formed  the  eastern  lioundarj'  of  the  land 
of  Goshen  (or  perhaps  a  little  west  of  tliat  line) 
and  the  Great  Wall  (the  Klietam-Etham-Shur) 
which  lay  between  Lower  Egypt  and  the  wilder- 
ness. At  that  Succoth  the  Israelites  probably 
made  their  rendezvous"  (Tkumbull).  The 
name  Etham  is  probably  identical  with  the 
Khetam  of  the  Egyptian  monuments.  The 
word  means  a  fort ificatw7i;  and  probably  some 
important  fortification  of  the  line  of  forts  form- 
ing the  frontier  between  Egypt  and  the  wilder- 
ness— the  edge  of  the  wilderness — became 
known  by  preeminence  as  the  Khetam  of  Zoror 
Lower  Egypt.  Tlie  Hebrew  equivalent  of  Khe- 
tam is  S/iKi',  or  wall ;  and  hence  tlie  children  of 
Israel,  after  the  passage  of  the  sea,  are  said  to 


132 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXIII. 


ivilderness,  and  went  three  days'  journey  in  the 
rt'ilderness  of  Ethain,  and  pitched  iu  Marah. 

9  And  tiiey  removed  from  Marah,  and  came  unto 
Elim  :  and  iu  Elnn  were  twelve  fountains  of  water, 
lud  tiireescore  and  ten  palm  trees  ;  and  they  pitched 
here. 

10  And  they  removed  from  Elim,  and  encamped 
)y  the  Red  sea. 

11  And  tliey  removed  from  the  Red  sea,  and 
sncamped  in  the  wilderness  of  Bin. 

12  And  they  took  their  journey  out  of  the  wil- 
lerness  of  Sin,  and  encamped  in  Dophkah. 

13  And  they  departed  from  Dophkah,  and  en- 
;amped  iu  Alush. 

14  And  they  removed  from  Alush,  and  encamped 
it  Rephidim,  where  was  no  water  for  the  people  to 
[rink. 

15  And  they  departed  from  Rephidim,  and.pitched 
n  the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 

16  And  they  removed  from  the  desert  of  Sinai, 
Lud  pitched  at  Kibroth-hattaavah. 

17  And  they  departed  from  Kibroth-hattaavah, 
ind  encamped  at  Hazeroth. 

18  And  they  departed  from  Hazeroth,  and  pitched 
n  Rithmah. 

19  And  they  departed  from  Rithmah,  and  pitched 
,t  Rimmon-parez. 

20  And  they  departed  from  Rimmon-parez,  [and 
►itched  in  Libnah. 

21  And  they  removed  from  Libnah,  and  pitched 
,t  Rissah. 

22  And  they  tourneyed  from  Rissah,  and  pitched 
Q  Kehelathah. 

23  And  they  went  from  Kehelathah,  and  pitched 
Q  mount  Shapher. 


into  the  wilderness  :  and  they  went  three  days' 
journey  in  tlie  wilderness  of  Etiiam,  and  pitched 
9  in  Marah.  And  they  journeyed  from  Marah, 
and  came  unto  Elim  :  and  in  Elim  were  twelve 
springs  of  water,  and  tiireescore  and  ten  palm 

10  trees ;  and  tliey  pitched  tliere.    And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Elim,  and  pitclied  by  the  Red  Sea. 

11  And  tiiey  journeyed   from  the  Red    Sea,  and 

12  pitched  in  tlie  wilderness  of  Sin.  And  they  jour- 
neyed from  the  wilderness  of  Sin,  and  pitched  in 

13  Dophkah.    And  they  journeyed  from  Dophkah, 

14  and    pitched    in  Alusli.    And    they  journeyed 
from  Alush,  and  pitched  in  Rephidim,  wh'ere 

15  was  no  water  for  the  people  to  drink.    And  they 
journeyed  from  Rephidim,  and  pitched  in  the 

16  wilderness  of  Sinai.    And  they  journeyed  from 
the  wilderness  of  .Sinai,  and  pitclied   in   Kib- 

17  roth-hattaavah.    And  they  journeyed  from  Kib- 

18  roth-hattaavah,  and  pitched  in  Hazeroth.    And 
they  journeyed  from  Hazeroth,  and  pitched  in 

19  Rithmah.    And  they  journeyed  from  Rithmah, 

20  and  pitched  in  Rimmon-perez.    And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Rimmon-perez,  and  pitched  in  Lib- 

21  nah.     And   they  journeyed   from  Libnah,  and 

22  pitched  in  Rissah.    And  they  journeyed  from 

23  Rissah,  and  pitched  in  Kehelathah.    And  they 
journeyed  from   Kehelathah,  and   pitched   iu 


lave  gone  three  days'  journey  in  the  wil- 
lerness  of  Etham  (^er.  s),  while  in  Exodus 
he  expression  is  the  "wilderness  of  Shur" 
Exod.  15:22).  In  both  passages  the  meaning  is, 
'the  wilderness  of  the  Great  Wall."  Pi- 
tahiroth  (ver.  7),  or,  without  the  Egyptian 
dace-mark  Pi,  simply  JTa/iiVoi/i  (ver.  8  ;  see  r.  v.)^ 
3  probably  to  be  identified  with  the  modern 
Ajrud,  about  four  hours  northwest  of  Suez, 
'he  places  mentioned  in  this  journey  from 
lameses  to  Sinai  correspond  with  those  given 

Q   Exodus  (see  Exod.  12  :  37  ;   13  :  20  ;   15  :  22,  23,  27  ;   16  : 

;  17 ;  1 ;  19  :  2),  with  the  exception  that  three 
(laces  of  encampment  are  enumerated  here 
rhich  are  not  mentioned  in  Exodus :  the  Red 
ea  between  Elim  and  the  wilderness  of 
>in  (ver.  11)^  and  Dophkah  and  Alush  (ver.  13, 
0  between  the  "wilderness  of  Sin"  and 
lephidim.  "  The  probability  of  a  station  on 
he  Red  Sea  between  Elim  and  the  wilderness 
f  Sin  must  be  conceded  "  (Dillmann)-  Some 
Qodern  investigators,  in  their  efforts  to  find  a 
dace  for  Sinai  in  Midian  proper,  have  argued 
hat  this  Red  Sea  station  was  on  the  Elanitic 
;ulf,  the  name  Yam  Suph,  or  Red  Sea,  being 
Lsed  in  that  sense  as  in  Judg.  11  :  16;  1  Kings 
:  26,  and  the  Israelites  having  struck  com- 
detely  across  the  peninsula  between  the  gulfs 
if  Suez  and  'Akabah  recording  only  the  stations 
klarah  and  Elim — which  latter  is  for  the  pur- 
)ose  identified  with  Eloth,  or  Elath,  at  the  head 
•f  the  gulf  of  'Akabah  —  but  their  reasoning 


does  not  seem  conclusive.     Dophkah  and  Alush 
are  not  elsewhere  mentioned. 

16-3G,  The  starting  out  from  Mount  Sinai 
is  narrated  in  10  :  11.  At  Kibroth-hatta- 
avah (ver.  16)  occurred  the  miraculous  flight  of 
quails  related  in  chap.  11 ;  and  at  Hazeroth, 
"where  the  people  abode  more  than  seven  days, 
occurred  the  rebellion  of  Miriam  and  Aaron  and 
Miriam's judgmentof  leprosy  (see chap.  12).  From 
ver.  19-36  the  stations  named  have  no  corres- 
ponding history  given  in  the  earlier  part  of  the 
book ;  and  their  identification  is  almost  purely 
conjectural.  As,  in  the  history,  the  children  of 
Israel  immediately  on  leaving  Hazeroth  are 
found  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran  (12  :  le)  or 
at  Kadesh  (i3  :  26) — a  place  which  is  not  men- 
tioned in  this  list  until  ver.  36 — a  difiiculty 
is  found  in  disposing  of  these  eighteen  stations 
between  Hazeroth  and  Kadesh,  especially  as 
the  whole  distance  from  Sinai  to  Kadesh  is  in 
Deuteronomy  called  only  eleven  days'  journey 
(Deut.  1:2).  It  is  generally  thought  that  these 
names  refer  to  places  of  encampment  during  the 
forty  years'  wandering  in  the  wilderness,  and 
that  the  coming  to  Kadesh  in  ver.  36  is  the 
great  assembling  of  the  tribes  after  their  period 
of  discipline  was  ended.  It  will  be  observed  that 
the  route  has  led  through  Ezion-gaber  (ver. 
35,  36)  at  the  head  of  the  gulf  of  'Akabah ; 
and  no  doubt  the  wandering  was  a  circuitous 
one  (see  com.  on  chap.  2i).  The  place  Rithmah 
(ver.  18) J  immediately  succeeding  Hazeroth,  is 


Ch.  XXXIII.] 


NUMBERS 


133 


24  And  they  removed  from  mount  Shapher,  and 
encamped  in  Haradah. 

25  And  they  removed  from  Haradah,  and  pitched 
in  Makheloth. 

26  And  they  removed  from  Makheloth,  and  en- 
camped at  Tahutli. 

27  And  they  departed  from  Tahath,  and  pitched 
at  Tar  ah. 

28  And  they  removed  from  Tarah,  and  pitched 
in  Mithcah. 

29  And  they  went  from  Mithcali,  and  pitched  in 
Hashmonah. 

30  And  they  departed  from  Hashmonah,  and 
encamped  at  Moseroth. 

31  And  they  departed  from  Moseroth,  and  pitched 
in  Bene-jaakan. 

32  And  they  removed  from  Bene-jaakan,  and 
encamped  at  Hor-hagidgad. 

33  And  they  went  from  Hor-hagidgad,  and  pitched 
in  Jotbathah. 

34  And  they  removed  from  Jotbathah,  and  en- 
camped at  Ebrouah. 

35  And  they  departed  from  Ebronah,  and  en- 
camped at  Ezion-gaber. 

36  And  they  removed  from  Ezion-gaber,  and 
pitched  in  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  which  is  Kadesh. 

37  And  they  removed  from  Kadesh,  and  pitched 
in  mount  Hor,  in  the  edge  of  the  land  of  Edom. 

38  And  Aaron  the  priest  went  up  into  mount 
Hor  at  the  commandment  of  the  Lord,  and  died 
there,  in  the  fortieth  year  after  the  children  of  Is- 
rael were  come  out  of  the  laud  of  Egypt  in  the 
first  day  of  the  fifth  month. 

39  And  Aaron  was  an  hundred  and  twenty  and 
three  years  old  when  he  died  in  mount  Hor. 

40  And  king  Arad  the  Canaanite,  which  dwelt  in 
the  south  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  heard  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  children  of  Israel. 

41  And  they  departed  from  mount  Hor,  and 
pitched  in  Zalmonah. 

42  And  they  departed  from  Zalmonah,  and  pitched 
in  Punon. 

43  And  they  departed  from  Punon,  and  pitched 
in  Oboth. 

44  And  they  departed  from  Oboth,  and  pitched 
in  Ije-abarim,  in  the  border  of  Moab. 


24  mount   Shephcr.     And    they   journeyed    from 

25  mount  Slieplier,  and  pitched  in  Haradah.  And 
they  journeyed  from  Harudaii,  and  i)itohcd  in 

26  Makheloth.    And  they  journevcd  from  Makhe- 

27  loth,  and  pitched  in  Tahuili.    And   tliev  jour- 

28  neyed  from  Tahath,  and  pitched  in  Tcruh.  And 
they  journeyed    from  Turah,   and    pilclied    in 

29  Mithkuh.     And  they  journeved  from  Mitlikah, 

30  and  pitched  in  Hasiimonafj.  And  they  juur- 
neyed  from  Hashmonah,  and  pitched  in  Mose- 

31  roth.    And  they  journeyed  from  Moseroth,  and 

32  pitched  in  Bene-jaakan.  And  they  journeyed 
from  Bene-jaakan,  and  pitclied  in  Hor-haggid- 

33  gad.     And  they  journeyed  fruni  Hor-liaggidKad, 

34  and  pitched  in  Jotbathah.     And  tliey  journeyed 

35  from  Jotbathali,  and  pitched  in  Abnjnali.  And 
they  journeyed  from  Abronah    and  pitched  iu 

36  Ezion-geber.  And  they  journeyed  fnjm  Ezion- 
geber,  and  pitched   in  tlie   wilderness   of  Zin 

37  (the  same  is  Kadeshh  And  tiiey  journeved 
from  Kadesh,  and  pitched  in  mount  Hor,  in 'the 

38  edge  of  the  land  of  Edom.  And  Aaron  tlie 
priest  went  up  into  mount  Hor  at  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord,  and  died  tliere,  in  tlie  fortieth 
year  after  the  children  of  Israel  were  come  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  fifth  montli,  on  the 

39  first  day  of  the  month.  And  Aaron  was  an  hun- 
dred and  twenty  and  three  years  old  when  he 

40  died  in  mount  Hor.  And  tlie  Canaanite,  the 
king  of  Arad,  which  dwelt  in  the  South  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  heard  of   the  coming   of   the 

41  children  of  Israel.    And   they  journeyed   from 

42  mount  Hor,  and  pitched  in  Zalmonah.  And 
they  journeyed  from  Zalmonah,  and  pitched  in 

43  Punon.    And  they  journeyed  from  i'unon,  and 

44  pitched  in  Oboth.  And  they  journeyed  from 
Oboth,  and  pitched  lye-abarim,  in  the  border  of 


thought  to  be  the  encampment  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Paran  mentioned  in  12  :  16,  and  to  be 
practically  identical  with  Kadesh.  A  somewhat 
enigmatical  insertion  in  Deut.  10  :  6,  7  mentions 
four  of  these  places,  though  in  a  different  order,  as 
if  traversed  by  the  childi-en  of  Israel  in  the  midst 
of  their  sojourn  at  Sinai :  Beeroth-bene-jaakan, 
or  "wells  of  the  sons  of  Jaakan,"  which  is 
identical  with  Bene-jaakan  (^er.  3i),  3foserah, 
where  Aaron  is  said  to  have  died,  which  is  but 
the  singular  form  corresponding  to  the  plural 
Moseroth  (ver.  so),  Gudgodah,  the  same  as 
Hor-hagidgad  (ver.  32),  and  Jotbathah 
(see  ver.  33).  The  vcrscs  in  Deuteronomy  are 
evidently  a  somewhat  unintelligent  later  gloss. 
"  An  examination  of  some  of  the  names  will 
give  a  clue  as  to  why  they  were  chosen.  Rith- 
mah,  a  name  coming  from  '  retem,'  a  broom 
bush,  probably  means  valley  of  broom  bushes. 
Kadesh,  'holy  place,*  its  original  name  is  En- 
mislipat  (Gen.  14  : 7),  'well  of  judgment'  ;  Ka- 
desh-barnea,  its  newer  name,  '  the  land  of  mov- 
ing to  and  fro,'  or  'wandering,'  or  'shaken.' 
Then  Rimmon-parez,  '  the  pomegranate  breach.' 


Libnah,  '  whiteness,*  probably  from  the  white 
poplar  trees  growing  there.  Ris.sah,  'dew.* 
Mount  Shapher,  'the  mount  of  beauty'  or  of 
'  goodliness.'  Mithcah,  '  sweetness,'  in  reference 
to  the  water.  Hashmonah, 'fatness,'  'fruitful- 
ness,'  where  to  this  day  there  is  a  pool  full  of 
sweet  living  water  with  abundant  vegetation 
around.  Bene-jaakan,  or,  as  in  Deut.  10  :  6, 
'  Beeroth  of  the  children  of  Jaakan,'  '  the  wells 
of  the  children  of  Jaakan,'  probal)ly  the  wells 
which  the  Jaakanites  had  dug  on  their  expulsion 
by  the  Edomites  from  their  original  homes  (oen. 
36  :  27 ;  1  Chrou.  1 :  42).  Jotbatluih,  '  goodnes.s,'  and 
Ebronah,  prol)ably  '  fords.'  The  other  names  are 
either  derived  from  peculiarities  of  scenery  or 
else  from  special  events,  as  Kehelathah,  '  assem- 
bling'; Makeheloth,  'assemblies';  Haradah, 
*  place  of  terror '  "  (Henry  A.  Harper). 

37-49,  On  tlie  location  of  3Ioiint  Hor  (ver. 
37)  and  the  circum.stances  of  the  death  of  Aaron 
(ver.  38,  39),  scc  com.  ou  20  :  22-29.  On  the 
encounter  with  Arad,  see  com.  on  21  :  1-3. 
The  journey  from  Mount  Hor  to  the  plains 
of  Moab  has  been  narrated  in  chap.  21.     We 


34 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXTII. 


45  And  they  departed  from  lim,  and  pitched  in 
)ibon-gad. 

46  And  they  removed  from  Dibon-gad,  and  en- 
amped  in  Almon-diblathaim. 

47  And  they  removed  from  Almon-diblathaim, 
,nd  pitched  in  the  mountains  of  Abarim,  before 
lebo. 

48  And  they  departed  from  the  mountains  of 
Lbarim,  and  pitched  in  the  plains  of  Moub  by 
ordan  near  Jericho. 

49  And  they  pitched  by  Jordan,  from  Beth-jesi- 
Qoth  even  unto  Abel-shittim  in  tlie  plains  of  Moab. 

50  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  plains 
f  Moab  by  Jordan  7iear  Jericlio,  saying, 

51  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say 
.nto  them.  When  ye  are  passed  over  Jordan  into 
he  land  of  Canaan ; 

52  Then  ye  shall  drive  out  all  the  inhabitants  of 
lie  laud  from  before  you,  and  destroy  all  their  pic- 
ures,  and  destroy  all  their  molten  images,  and 
uite  pluck  down  all  their  high  places  : 

53  And  ye  sliall  dispossess  the  inhahitantu  of  the 
ind,aud  dwell  therein:  fori  have  given  you  the 
and  to  possess  it. 

54  And  ye  shall  divide  the  land  by  lot  for  an  in- 
leritance  among  your  families:  and  to  tlie  more 
e  shall  give  the  more  inheritance,  and  to  tlie  fewer 
e  shall  give  the  less  inheritance  :  every  man's  in- 
ciitance  shall  be  in  the  place  where  his  lot  falleth  ; 
ccoiding  to  the  tribes  of  your  fathers  ye  shall 
Liherit. 

55  But  if  ye  will  not  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of 
he  land  from  before  you  ;  then  it  shall  come  to 
lass,  that  those  which  ye  let  remain  of  them  shall 
e  pricks  in  your  eyes,  and  thorns  in  j'our  sides, 
,nd  shall  vex  you  in  the  land  wherein  ye  dwell. 


45  Moab.    And   they  journeyed    from  lyim,  and 

46  pitched  in  Dibon-gad.  And  they  journeyed 
from  Dibon-gad,  and  pitched  in  Almon-dibla- 

47  thaim.  And  they  journeyed  from  Almon-dibla- 
thaim, and  pitched  in  the  mountains  of  Abarim, 

48  before  Nebcj.  Aul  they  journeyed  from  the 
mountains  of  Abarim,  and  pitched  in  the  plains 

49  of  Moab  by  the  Jordan  at  Jericho.  And  they 
pitched  by  Jordan,  from  Beth-jeshimoth  even 
unto  Abel-shittim  in  the  plains  of  Moab. 

50  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  plains 

51  of  Moab  by  the  Jordan  at  Jericho,  saying,  Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say'unto  them, 
When  ye  pass  over  Jordan  into  the  land  of  Ca- 

52  naan,  then  ye  shall  drive  out  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  land  from  before  you,  and  destroy  all 
their  figured  stones,  and  destroy  all  their  molten 

53  images,  and  demolish  all  their  high  places  :  and 
ye  shall  take  possession  of  the  land,  and  dwell 
therein  :  for  unto  you  have  I  given  the  land  to 

54  possess  it.  And  ye  shall  inherit  the  land  by  lot 
according  to  your  families  ;  to  the  more  ye  shall 
give  the  more  inheritance,  and  to  the  fewer 
thou  shalt  give  the  less  inheritance:  vvheieso- 
ever  the  lot  falleth  to  any  man,  that  shall  be 
his ;    according  to    the  tribes  of    your  fathers 

55  shall  ye  inherit.  But  if  ye  will  not  drive  out  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land  from  before  you;  then 
shall  those  which  ye  let  remain  of  tliem  be  as 
pricks  in  your  eyes,  and  as  thorns  in  your  sides, 
and  they  shall  vex  you  in  the  land  wherein 


lave  there  the  names  Oboth  (ver.  43 ;  cf.  21  :  10) 
nd  Ije-abarim  (ver.  44 ;  cf.  21 :  11).  The  reader 
s  referred  to  the  com.  on  21  :  10-20.  Dibon- 
;acl  (ver.  45,  46)  is  no  doubt  the  same  as  the 
)ibon  mentioned  in  21  :  30,  which  probably 
eceived  the  addition  gad  to  its  name  from  its 
laving  been  rebuilt  by  that  tribe  (see  32  :  34), 
nd  to  distinguish  it  from  some  other  Dibon  not 
;nown.  Almon-dibiathaim  (ver.  46),  though 
lentioned  in  this  form  only  here,  is  probably 
he  same  as  JBeth-diblathaim,  enumerated  by 
eremiah  (48 :  22)  among  the  cities  of  Moab 
pon  which  the  divine  judgment  had  descended, 
'he  mountains  of  Abarim  (ver.  47),  or  "  moun- 
ains  of  the  further  regions,"  are  the  Moabite 
lighlands  in  the  neighborhood  of  Nebo,  jutting 
own  to  the  Arabah.  The  encampment  in  the 
>lains  of  Moab,  already  mentioned  in  22  :  1, 
3  here  described  as  extending  from  Beth- 
esimoth  to  Abel-shittim  (ver.  49), 

50-56.  The  more  immediate  directions  for 
he  occupation  of  Canaan  are  now  taken  up,  and 
hey  fill  the  rest  of  this  chapter  and  chap.  34, 
fter  which  (35 : 1)  the  distinct  legislation  regard- 
ng  the  Levitical  cities  is  introduced  by  a  repe- 
ition  of  this  formula  in  ver.  50.  In  the  book 
if  the  Covenant  (see  Exod.  23  :  24)  the  command  to 
lestroy  the  idolatrous  emblems  is  recorded, 
Llong  with  the  prohibition  of  heathen  worship, 
^n  that  chapter  the  promise  is  given  that  Jeho- 
rah,  on  condition  of  Israel's  faithfulness  (ibid,,  22)^ 


will  drive  out  the  nations  of  the  land  (ibid.,  ver. 
23, 28)  ;  with  the  express  consolation  for  importu- 
nate and  disappointed  faith  that  this  is  to  occur 
gradually  in  order  to  avoid  the  inconvenient 
multiplication  of  wild  animals  (iWd.,  ver.  29,  30 ), 
and  that  the  land  will  yield  places  to  them  only 
as  they  are  able  to  fill  them.  The  divine  agency 
employed  is  to  be  Jehovah's  angel  (ibid.,  ver.  20 ; 
cf.  Exod.  32:34;  33:2),  and  the  exprcss  form  in 
which  their  faithfulness  is  prescribed  is  that 
they  are  to  listen  to  his  voice  and  not  provoke 
him  (Exod.  23  :  21).  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
in  describing  the  failure  of  the  children  of 
Israel  in  their  early  efibrts  to  occupy  the  land 
the  book  of  Judges  (2  :  1-5)  introduces  the 
angel,  who  has  been  disregarded,  as  the  ex- 
plainer of  their  discomfiture.  In  that  explana- 
tion he  recalls  the  characteristic  threat  found 
here  in  ver.  55  (see  Judg.  2:3).  In  Exod.  34  :  11- 
17  the  same  command  regarding  the  destruction 
of  heathen  objects  of  worship  is  given,  w  ith  the 
caution  against  making  alliances  w^ith  the  peo- 
ple :  but  there  also  the  driving  out  of  the  in- 
habitants is  a  matter  of  divine  promise.  By 
some  modern  critics  those  passages  of  promise 
and  warning  in  Exodus  are  assigned  to  a  redac- 
tor. Here  in  Numbers,  in  a  manner  perhaps 
more  characteristic  of  the  priestly  source,  the 
supernatural  element  is  somewhat  more  subordi- 
nated, the  directions  are  emphasized  by  way  of 
threat  rather  than  of  promise,  and  the  responsi- 


Ch.  XXXIV.] 


NUMBERS 


135 


56  Moreover,  it  shall  come  to  pass,  thcU  I  shall  do 
unto  you,  as  I  thought  to  do  unto  them. 


56  ye  dwell.    And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  as  I 
thought  to  do  unto  them,  so  will  1  do  unto  you. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  come  into  the  land  of  Canaan ; 
(this  is  the  land  that  shall  fall  unto  you  for  an  in- 
heritance, even  the  land  of  Canaan  with  the  coasts 
thereof:) 

3  Then  your  south  quarter  shall  be  from  the 
wilderness  of  Zin  along  by  the  coast  of  Edom,  and 
your  south  border  shall  be  the  outmost  coast  of  the 
salt  sea  eastward  : 

4  And  your  border  shall  turn  from  the  south  to 
the'.ascent  of  Akrabbim,  and  pass  on  to  Zin  :  and 
the  going  forth  thereof  shall  be  from  the  south  to 
Kadesh-barnea,  and  shall  go  on  to  Hazar-addar, 
and  pass  on  to  Azmon  : 

5  And  the  border  shall  fetch  a  compass  from  Az- 
mon unto  the  river  of  Egypt,  and  the  goings  out  of 
it  shall  be  at  the  sea. 


1  AND   the   Lord   spake   unto   Moses,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 
them,  When  ye  come  into  tlie  land  of  Canatui, 
(this  is  the  land  that  shall  fall  unto  you  for  an 
inheritance,  even  the  land  of    Canaan  accord- 

3  ing  to  the  borders  thereof,)  then  your  south 
quarter  shall  be  from  the  wilderness  of  Zin 
along  by  the  side  of  Edom,  and  your  south  bor- 
der shall  be  from  the  end  of  the  Salt  Sea  east- 

4  ward:  and  your  border  shall  turn  about  south- 
ward of  the  ascent  of  Akrabbim,  and  pass 
along  to  Zin  :  and  the  goings  out  thereof  shall 
be  southward  of  Kadesh-barnea  ;  and  it  shall 
go  forth  to  Hazar-addar,  and  pass  along  to  Az- 

5  mon :  and  the  border  shall  turn  about  from 
Azmon  unto  the  brook  of  Egypt,  and  the  goings 


bility  of  driving  out  the  Canaan! tes  is  placed 
on  the  people  themselves  (ver.  55,  56),  The  direc- 
tion regarding  the  dividing  of  the  land  in 
ver.  54  is  repeated  from  26  :  52-56,  on  \vhich 
see  the  commentary.  It  is  worth  noting  that 
while  the  threat  in  ver.  56  seems  to  predict  the 
final  extinction  of  the  Israelites  in  case  of  their 
failure  to  dispossess  the  Canaanites  completely, 
in  the  parallel  in  Leviticus  (chap.  26;  see  ver.  a,  45) 
and  Deuteronomy  (chap.  29, 30  ;  seeesp.  30: 1-10),  the 
threat  ends  with  the  expectation  of  repentance 
and  the  gracious  promise  of  restoration. 


Chap.  34.  The  boundaries  of  the  ter- 

RITORY  west  of  THE  JORDAN,   OR  CANAAN. 

Names  of  the  men  who  are  to  divide  the 
LAND.     1-15.  By  the  land  of  Canaan  (ver.  2) 

is  here  meant  the  territory  west  of  the  Jordan. 
This  is  particularly  the  land  which  Israelitish 
feeling  considered  as  "  falling"  (cf.  Kzek.  47  :  14 ; 
Judg.  18  :  1)  to  the  tribes  as  an  inheritance,  the 
decision  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half  to  inherit 
on  the  east  of  the  Jordan  being  thought  of  as  a 
modification  of  the  original  divine  arrangement, 
and  as  an  occupation  of  territory  conquered 
from  hostile  kings  rather  than  descending  by 
inheritance  from  Abraham  to  whom  it  was 
given  (see  Gen.  15  :  18 ;  17:8).  The  Israclitish 
claim,  or  anticipation  of  national  destiny,  al- 
ways embodied  the  dream  of  an  extent  of  terri- 
tory far  greater  than  the  nation  ever  conquered 
and  occupied  ;  though  Solomon  at  the  height  of 
his  power  is  said  by  the  chronicler  to  have  held 
the  kings  tributary  throughout  the  region 
claimed  (2  chron.  9  :  26).  It  was  in  general  de- 
scribed as  from  the  river — i.  e.,  the  Euphrates — 
to  the  river  of  Egypt,  or  the  wilderness  (Gen.  is  : 

18  ;    Exod.  23  :  31  ;    Deut.  11  :  24). 

The  outlines  of  the  promised  laud  are  drawn 


on  the  four  sides,  beginning  with  the  south. 
The  south  side  is  indicated  in  the  most  general 
terms  in  the  first  sentence  of  ver.  3  :  Your 
south  quarter,  side,  shall  be  from  the 
Avilderness  of  Zin  along  by  the  coast,  o?i 
the  frontiers,  of  Edom.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  according  to  20  :  16  the  territory  of  Edom 
extended  to  Kadesh  wliicli  was  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Zin.  From  the  middle  of  ver.  3  the 
description  of  the  southern  boundary  is  drawn 
out  in  detail.  It  corresponds  closely  with  that 
of  the  southern  boundary  of  Judah  in  Josh.  15  : 
2-4.  It  starts  at  the  end  of  the  Salt  Sea  on  the 
east,  or  as  in  Joshua,  "the  bay  that  looketh 
southward,"  and  leaving  the  Ghor  or  Dead  Sea 
Valley  at  the  modern  AVady  el  Fikrali,  near 
which  was  the  mountain  pass  of  Akrabbim 
(ver.  4)j  or,  the  Scorpioiis,  it  pursued  in  general 
a  southwestern  course  past  the  conical  Jebel 
Madurah  where  Aaron  was  buried  (see  com.  on  ao: 
22-29)  to  Zin,  reaching  it.s  greatest  southerly  ex- 
tent at  Kadesh-barnea,  and  then  by  a  grad- 
ual sweep  to  the  northward  through  the  un- 
identified places  Hazar-addar  and  Azmon, 
at  the  latter  of  which  the  line  took  a  decided 
turn  to  the  north  (^er.  5),  it  finally  struck  the 
river  of  Egypt,  or  the  modern  Wady  el  Arish 
which  runs  northwest,  and  came  out  at  the 
Mediterranean  Sea.  The  whole  eastern  part  of 
this  course  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  Kadesh,  as  it 
follows  the  Wady  el  Fikrah  and  tlie  Wady  el 
Marrah,  is  a  natural  boundary,  liaving  a  line  of 
high  cliflTs  on  its  northern  and  western  side  and 
dividing  between  cultivable  or  pasture  land  and 
desert;  and  in  like  manner  its  western  portion, 
following  the  Wady  el  Arish,  is  still  a  natural 
boundary,  as  the  land  to  the  south  and  west 
of  that  stream  all  the  way  to  Egypt  is  barren 
and  sandy  desert  with  scarcely  any  vegetation, 


136 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXIV. 


6  And  as  for  the  western  border,  ye  shall  even 
have  the  great  sea  for  a  border :  this  shall  be  your 
west  border. 

7  And  this  shall  be  your  north  border :  from  the 
great  sea  ye  shall  point  out  for  you  mount  Hor : 

8  From  mount  Hor  ye  shall  point  out  your  border 
unto  the  entrance  of  Hamath  ;  and  the  goings  forth 
of  the  border  shall  be  to  Zedad  : 

9  And  the  border  shall  go  on  to  Ziphron,  and  the 
goings  out  of  it  shall  be  at  Hazar-enan :  this  shall 
be  your  north  border. 

10  And  ye  shall  point  out  your  east  border  from 
Hazar-enan  to  Shepham. 

11  And  the  coast  shall  go  down  from  Shepham  to 
Riblah,  on  the  east  side  of  Ain ;  and  the  border 
shall  descend,  and  shall  reach  unto  the  side  of  the 
sea  of  Chinnereth  eastward  : 

12  And  the  border  shall  go  down  to  Jordan,  and 
the  goings  out  of  it  shall  be  at  the  salt  sea :  this 
shall  be  your  land  with  the  coasts  thereof  round 
about. 


6  out  thereof  shall  be  at  the  sea.  And  for  the 
western  border,  ye  shall  have  the  great  sea  and 
the  border  thereof:  this  shall  be  your  west  bor- 

7  der.  And  this  shall  be  your  north  border :  from 
the  great  sea  ye  shall  mark  out  for  you  mount 

8  Hor :  from  Mount  Hor  ye  shall  mark  out  unto 
the  entering  in  of  Hamath  ;  and  the  goings  out  of 

9  the  border  shall  be  at  Zedad :  and  the  border 
shall  go  forth  to  Ziphron,  and  the  goings  out 
thereof  shall  be  at  Hazar-enan :   this  shall   be 

10  your  north  border.    And  ye  shall  mark  out  your 

11  east  border  from  Hazar-enan  to  Shepham :  and 
the  border  shall  go  down  from  Shepham  to  Rib- 
lah, on  the  east  side  of  Ain  ;  and  the  border  shall 
go  down,  and  shall  reach  unto  the  side  of  the  sea 

12  of  Chinnereth  eastward :  and  the  border  shall 
go  down  to  Jordan,  and  the  goings  out  thereof 
shall  be  at  the  Salt  Sea :  this  shall  be  your  land 
according  to  the  borders  thereof  round  about. 


while  the  right  bank  toward  Gaza  is  much 
better  land. 

The  western  border  was  the  great,  or,  Med- 
iterranean, sea  (ver.  6). 

The  northern  boundary  cannot  be  identified 
with  certainty.  It  appears  to  start  at  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea,  but  there  is  no  mountain  near  the 
sea  which  corresponds  in  location  with  the  other 
places  mentioned  so  as  to  be  identified  with 
mount  Hor  (ver.  7).  There  is  no  northern 
"  mount  Hor  "  known.  The  expression  Hor  ha- 
har,  "  Hor  the  mountain,"  is  the  same  peculiar 
form  as  that  used  to  designate  the  mountain  in  the 
Negeb  where  Aaron  was  buried  ( 20 :  22 ) .  "If  Hor 
is  an  archaic  form  of  har,  Mount  Hor  signifies 
some  conspicuous  height  among  lesser  heights ; 
and  when  we  come  to  apply  this  meaning  to  the 
regions  of  the  Lebanon,  we  cannot  remain  long 
in  doubt  as  to  the  special  mount  indicated. 
Among  all  the  mountains  on  the  borders  of 
Syria  and  Palestine,  Mount  Hermon  is  pre- 
eminently the  most  conspicuous  and  important, 
owing  to  its  enormous  mass  and  great  elevation, 
which  reaches  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  On  this  ground  we  may  identify 
this  second  Mount  Hor  with  Hermon,  although 
Porter,  followed  by  Nebauer  and  Buhl,  prefers 
Jebel  Akkar,  a  N.  E.  spur  of  Lebanon " 
(Hastings,  "Bible  Diet.").  To  mark  out  (a 
word  which  occurs  only  here  and  in  ver.  8) 
this  mountain  from  the  sea  would  thus  mean  to 
descry  it  and  use  it  as  a  landmark.  The  next 
landmark  is  the  entrance  of  Hamath  (ver. 
8)  which,  with  our  understanding  of  Mount  Hor, 
would  be  descried  westward  or  toward  the  sea, 
say  at  the  point  where  the  Leontes,  coming  down 
from  the  Beqa'a,  or  Ccele-Syria,  takes  a  sharp 
turn  to  the  west  to  reach  the  sea  a  little  north 
of  Tyre.  The  remainder  of  the  northern  border 
toward  the  sea  might  be  thought  of  as  consti- 
tuted by  that  stream  which  is  to-day  called 


Nahr  el  Kasimiyeh,  or  "boundary  stream." 
The  goings  forth,  or,  extremity,  of  the  northern 
border  was  to  be  at  Zedad,  which  is  perhaps 
the  same  as  the  modern  Sadad,  about  thirty 
miles  east  of  the  entrance  of  Hamath.  From 
there  evidently  the  boundary  took  a  turn,  per- 
haps toward  the  south  or  southwest,  taking  in  two 
places,  Ziphron  and  Hazar-enan,  neither 
of  which  is  known,  but  the  latter  of  which 
formed  an  angle  or  extremity  terminating  what 
was  technically  the  northern  boundary. 

The  first  two  or  three  places  mentioned  in  the 
eastern  boundary  (ver.  10-12)  are  not  known, 
but  they  evidently  designate  places  in  the  region 
of  the  Lebanon.  Hazar-enan  evidently  marks 
the  point  from  which  the  line  pursues  an  un- 
interrupted southerly  course ;  the  next  place, 
Shepham  (ver.  11)^  is  unknown,  and  all  we  can 
say  of  Riblah  is  that  it  is  not  the  Riblah  in 
the  land  of  Hamath  which  figured  with  such  an 
unhappy    prominence    in    the    history  of  the 

captivity    (2   Kings  23  :  33  ;   25  :  21  ;   Jer.  39  :  5  ;   52  :  26). 

It  is  said  to  be  on  the  east  side  of  Ain, 

or,  the  fountain,  perhaps,  as  Jerome  understood 
it,  the  fountain  of  the  Jordan,  i.  e.,  some  one  of 
the  several  streams  issuing  from  the  western 
slopes  of  Hermon  from  which  the  Jordan 
takes  its  rise.  On  a  slight  conjectural  change 
in  the  pointing  of  the  Hebrew  the  author  of  the 
"Speaker's  Commentary"  founds  the  sugges- 
tion that  the  name  may  be,  not  Riblah,  but  Har- 
hel,  identical  with  the  Mount  Baal-hermon  men- 
tioned in  Judg.  3  :  3.  From  this  place  the  bor- 
der goes  doAvn  to  the  "  shoulder  "  of  the  sea  of 
Chinnereth — the  Old  Testament  form  for  Gen- 
nesaret — the  sea  of  Galilee,  so  well  known  in  the 
Gospel  history.  The  remainder  of  the  eastern 
boundary  is  marked  by  the  Jordan  (ver.  12)  ; 
and  its  extremity  is  the  Salt  Sea,  the  original 
point  of  departure  (see  ver.  3).  The  land  thus 
marked  out  is  designated  by  Moses  as  the  land 


Ch.  XXXV.] 


NUMBERS 


137 


13  And  Moses  commanded  the  children  of  Israel, 
saying,  This  is  the  laud  which  ye  shall  inherit  by 
lot,  which  the  Lord  commanded  to  give  unto  the 
nine  tribes,  and  to  the  half  tribe  : 

14  For  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Reuben  ac- 
cording to  the  house  of  their  fathers,  and  the  tribe 
of  the  children  of  Gad  according  to  the  house  of 
their  fathers,  have  received  their  inheritance ;  and 
half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  have  received  their 
inheritance : 

15  The  two  tribes  and  the  half  tribe  have  re- 
ceived their  inheritance  on  this  side  Jordan  near 
Jericho  eastward,  toward  the  sunrising. 

16  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

17  These  are  the  names  of  the  men  which  shall 
divide  the  land  unto  you :  Eleazar  the  priest,  and 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun. 

18  And  ye  shall  take  one  prince  of  every  tribe, 
to  divide  the  land  by  inheritance. 

19  And  the  names  of  the  men  are  these  :  Of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh. 

20  And  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Simeon,  She- 
muel  the  son  of  Ammihud. 

21  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  Elidad  the  son  of 
Chislon. 

22  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Dan,  Bukki  the  son  of  Jogli. 

23  The  prince  of  the  children  of  Joseph,  for  the 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Manasseh,  Hanniel  the 
son  of  Ephod. 

24  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Ephraim,  Kemuel  the  son  of  Shiphtan. 

25  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Zebulun,  Elizaphan  the  son  of  Parnach. 

26  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Issachar,  Paltiel  the  son  of  Azzan. 

27  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Asher,  Ahihud  the  son  of  Shelomi. 

28  And  the  prince  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Naphtali,  Pedahel  the  son  of  Ammihud. 

29  These  are  they  whom  the  Lord  commanded  to 
divide  the  inheritance  unto  the  children  of  Israel 
in  the  land  of  Canaan. 


13  And  Mases  commanded  the  children  of  Israel 
saying.  This  is  the  land  whicli  ye  shull  inherit 
by  lot,  which  the  Lord  hath  commaniled  U)give 

14  unto  the  nine  tribes,  and  to  the  half  tribe :  for 
the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Reuben  according 
to  their  fathers'  houses,  and  the  tribe  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Gad  according  to  their  fathers'  houses 
have  received,  and  the  half  tribe  of  Muna-sseli 

15  have  received,  their  inheritance  :  the  two  tribes 
and  the  half  tribe  have  received  their  inherit- 
ance beyond  the  Jordan  at  Jericho  eastward, 
toward  the  sunrising. 

16  And    the   Lord    spake   unto    Moses,    saying, 

17  These  are  the  names  of  the  men  which  shall 
divide  the  land  unto  you  for  inheritance :  Ele- 
azar the  priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  of   Nun. 

18  And  ye  shall  take  one  prince  of  every  tribe, 

19  to  divide  the  land  for  inheritance.  And  these 
are  the  names  of  the  men  :  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 

20  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh.  And  of  the  trilje 
of  the  children  of  Simeon,  Shemuel  the  son  of 

21  Ammihud.    Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  Elidad 

22  the  son  of  Chislon.  And  of  the  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Dan  a  prince,   Bukki  the   son  of 

23  Jogh.  Of  the  children  of  Joseph  :  of  the  tribe 
of   the   children  of   Manasseh  a  prince,  llan- 

24  niel  the  son  of  Ephod :  and  of  the  tribe  of 
the    children  of   Ephraim    a    prince,    Kemuel 

25  the  son  of  Shiphtan.  And  of  the  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Zebulun  a  prince,   Elizaplian  the 

26  son  of  Parnach.  And  of  the  tribe  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Issachar  a  prince,  Paltiel  the  son  of 

27  Azzan.  And  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of 
Asher   a   prince,  Ahihud  the  son  of  Shelomi. 

28  And  of  the  tribe  of  the  children  of  Naphtali  a 

29  prince,  Pedahel  the  son  of  Ammihud.  These 
are  they  whom  the  Lord  commanded  to  divide 
the  inheritance  unto  the  children  of  Israel  iu 
the  land  ol  Canaan. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 


1  AND  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  plains 
of  Moab  by  Jordan  7iear  Jericho,  saying, 

2  Command  the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  give 
unto  the  Levites  of  the  inheritance  of  their  pos- 
session cities  to  dwell  in  ;  and  ye  shall  give  also  unto 
the  Levites  suburbs  for  the  cities  round  about 
them. 

3  And  the  cities  shall  they  have  to  dwell  in ; 
and  the  suburbs  of  them  shall  be  for  their  cattle, 
and  for  their  goods,  and  for  all  their  beasts. 


1  AND  the  lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  the  plains 

2  of  Moab  by  the  Jordan  at  Jericho,  saying,  Com- 
mand the  children  of  Israel,  that  they  give  unto 
the  Levites  of  the  inheritance  of  their  possession 
cities  to  dwell  in;  and  suburbs  for  the  cities 
round  about  them  shall  ye  give  unto  the  Levites. 

3  And  the  cities  shall  they  have  to  dwell  in  ;  and 
their  suburbs  shall  be  for  tlieir  cattle,  and  for 


to  be  inherited  by  lot  (ver.  is)  and  divided 
among  the  nine  tribes  and  a  half,  exclusive  of 
the  tribes  of  Reuben,  Gad,  and  half-Manasseh, 
who  had  received  their  allotment  (ver.  u,  is). 

16-29.  The  superintendents  of  the  work  of 
apportioning  the  land  by  lot  were  to  be  the 
civil  and  religious  heads  of  the  nation,  Joshua 
and  Eleazar.  From  each  of  the  tribes  was 
selected  a  prince  to  act  as  trustee  for  his 
tribe.  Of  these  men  none  are  otherwise  known 
except  Caleb  of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  The  order 
in  which  the  tribes  are  mentioned  is  varied 
somewhat  from  the  order  in  which  they  have 
occurred  in  other  accounts,  perhaps  with  a  lit- 
tle closer  reference  to  the  location  of  their  allot- 
ments in  the  land.  On  the  adjustment  of  the 
system  of  the  lot  to  the  territorial  requirements  of 
the  diflfe rent-si  zed  tribes,  see  com.  on  26  :  52-56. 


Chap.  35.  Appointment  of  cities  for 
THE  Levites,  and  cities  of  refuge.  1-8. 
The  legislation  here  takes  a  new  start,  specifying 
again  where  it  was  that  Jehovah  gave  the  reve- 
lation, as  in  33  :  50.  Moses  is  to  make  the  ar- 
rangement that  the  children  of  Israel,  when  the 
land  is  assigned,  shall  give  to  the  Levites,  who 
have  no  landed  inheritiince  (sec  is  .-  23,  24),  certain 
designated  cities  for  their  abode,  together  with 
a  moderate  extent  of  pasture  land  round  about 
them  for  their  cattle  (ver.  2, 3).  These  are  desig- 
nated as  cities  ...  to  dwell  in  (ver.  3)^  being 
considered,  not  as  so  much  territory  assigned  as 
their  full  and  exclusive  possession,  but  simply 
places  where  they  might  locate  their  liouses 
(cf.  Lev.  25  :  32,  33) ^  and  dwcll  perhaps  in  close 
association  with  lay  people.  It  may  be  ob- 
served  that  Beth-shemesh,  which  was   desig- 


138 


NUMBEKS 


[Ch.  XXXV. 


4  And  the  suburbs  of  the  cities,  which  ye  shall 
give  unto  the  Levites,  shall  reach  from  (the  wall  of 
the  city  and  outward  a  thousand  cubits  round 
about. 

5  And  ye  shall  measure  from  without  the  city  on 
the  east  side  two  thousand  cubits,  and  on  the  south 
side  two  thousand  cubits,  and  on  the  west  side  two 
thousand  cubits,  and  on  the  north  side  two  thou- 
sand cubits  ;  and  the  city  shall  he  in  the  midst :  this 
shall  be  to  them  the  suburbs  of  the  cities. 

6  And  among  the  cities  wliich  ye  shall  give  unto 
the  Levites  there  shall  be  six  cities  for  refuge,  which 
ye  shall  appoint  for  the  manslayer,  that  he  may 
flee  thither :  and  to  them  ye  shall  add  forty  and 
two  cities. 

7  So  all  the  cities  which  ye  shall  give  to  the  Le- 
vites shall  be  forty  and  eight  cities :  them  shall  ye 
give  with  their  suburbs. 

8  And  the  cities  which  ye  shall  give  shall  be  of 
the  possession  of  the  children  of  Israel  :  from  them 
that  have  many  ye  shall  give  many  ;  but  from  them 
that  have  few  ye  shall  give  few :  every  one  shall 
give  of  his  cities  unto  the  Levites  according  to  his 
inheritance  which  he  inheriteth. 

9  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  saying, 

10  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say 
unto  them,  When  ye  be  come  over  Jordan  into  the 
land  of  Canaan ; 


4  their  substance,  and  for  all  their  beasts.  And 
the  suburbs  of  the  cities,  which  ye  shall  give 
unto  the  Levites,  shall  be  from  the  wall  of  the 
city  and  outward  a  thousand  cubits  round  about. 

5  And  ye  shall  measure  without  the  city  for  the 
east  side  two  thousand  cubits,  and  for  the  south 
side  two  thousand  cubits,  and  for  the  west  side 
two  thousand  cubits,  and  for  the  north  side 
two  thousand  cubits,  the  city  being  in  the  midst. 
This  shall  be  to  them  the  suburbs  of  the  city. 

6  And  the  cities  which  ye  shall  give  unto  the  Le- 
vites, they  shall  be  the  six  cities  of  refuge,  which 
ye  shall  give  for  the  manslayer  to  flee  thither : 
and  beside  them  ye  shall  give  forty  and  two 

7  cities.  All  the  cities  which  ye  shall  give  to  the 
Levites  shall   be  forty  and  eight  cities:   them 

8  shall  ye  give  with  their  suburbs.  And  concern- 
ing the  cities  which  ye  shall  give  of  the  pos- 
session of  the  children  of  Israel,  from  the  many 
ye  shall  take  many ;  and  from  the  few  ye  shall 
take  few :  every  one  according  to  his  'inherit- 
ance  which  he  inheriteth  shall  give  of  his  cities 
unto  the  Levites. 

9  And   the   Lord    spake   unto    Moses,    saying, 
10  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto 

them,  When  ye  pass  over  Jordan  into  the  land  of 


nated  as  a  Levitical  city  (Josh.  21  :  le),  seems  to 
have  had  both  Levitical  and  lay  inhabitants 
(1  Sam.  6  :  13,  15) ;  and  tliB  Setting  apart  of  He- 
bron as  a  priestly  city  did  not  alienate  the  ter- 
ritory from  the  inheritance  of  Caleb  (Josh.  21  :  11, 
12).  The  privileges  of  redemption  were  made 
somewhat  easier  for  Levites  who  were  obliged 
to  sell  their  houses  in  these  cities  than  for  ordi- 
nary laymen  (see  Lev.  25  :  32,  33,  and  com.)  ;   but  the 

common  or  pasture  lands  surrounding  these 
cities  were  inalienable  (iwd.,  34).  The  regula- 
tion regarding  the  size  of  the  pasture  lands  (ver. 
4, 5),  appears  to  be  a  bit  of  ideal  legislation, 
like  that  regarding  the  shape  of  the  Israelitish 
camp  (see  com.  on  2  :  3-34)^  since  few  locations  in 
Palestine  would  admit  of  a  square  plat  with 
exact  geometrical  measurements  all  around  such 
as  are  described.  Besides,  two  thousand  cubits 
on  a  side  (ver.  5),  with  one  thousand  cubits  from 
the  wall  outward  (ver.  4)^  would  reduce  the  city 
itself  to  a  mathematical  point.  Various  solu- 
tions of  the  puzzle  of  these  measurements  have 
been  attempted ;  but  perhaps  we  can  insist  on 
no  stricter  interpretation  than  the  general  prin- 
ciple that  a  space  of  one  thousand  cubits,  or 
nearly  one-third  of  a  mile,  should  be  reserved 
as  common  land  on  which  the  Levites  dwelling 
in  the  cities  might  pasture  their  cattle;  and 
that,  whatever  the  lay  of  the  land,  outside  own- 
ers should  not  encroach  nearer  than  this  on  any 
side,  while  in  every  case  a  frontage  should  be 
guaranteed  of  not  less  than  two  thousand  cubits. 
The  construction  of  the  Hebrew  of  ver.  6  is 
somewhat  confused,  but  the  rendering  of  the 
E,.  V.  is  to  be  preferred.  In  all,  these  cities 
were  to  number  forty-eight,  or  an  average  of 


four  to  a  tribe  (ver.  i)^  but  the  quota  from  each 
tribe  was  to  vary  according  to  its  area — a  prin- 
ciple similar  to  that  followed  in  adjusting  the 
size  of  portions  to  the  populousness  of  the 
tribes  (see  26  :  54;  33  :  54).  In  the  actual  assign- 
ment of  Levitical  cities,  recorded  in  Josh.  21, 
the  proportion  of  four  to  a  tribe  was  adhered  to, 
with  the  exception  that  the  large  tribe  of  Judah, 
together  with  Simeon,  gave  up  nine  cities,  and 
Naphtali  in  the  far  north  was  called  on  for  only 
three.  How  soon  these  arrangements  as  to  the 
residence  of  the  Levites  came  into  actual  effect,  or 
how  strictly  they  were  ever  carried  out  in  Israel- 
itish history,  it  is  not  easy  to  say.  Many  of  the 
cities  named  in  Joshua  as  Levitical  cities  did 
not  come  into  the  actual  power  of  Israel  until 
centuries  after  Joshua's  day ;  and  in  the  times 
of  the  judges  we  have  mention  of  Levites  liv- 
ing in  places  not  included  in  the  list  of  Leviti- 
cal cities  ( Judg.  17  :  7 ;  19 : 1).  In  the  age  of  David 
and  Solomon  we  for  the  first  time  observe  a 
recognition  of  the  fact  tliat  the  Levites  -were 
dwelling  in  cities  with  suburbs  or  pasture  lands 
(1  Chron.  13 :  2).  After  the  division  of  the  mon- 
archy perhaps  the  possibility  of  a  strict  local 
provision  for  these  people  no  longer  existed ;  at 
least  the  Deuteronomist  everywhere  treats  the 
Levites  as  a  homeless  tribe  dependent  on  the 
hospitality  of  the  people  within  whose  "  gates" 
they  were  sojourning  ;  and  the  blessing  of  Jacob, 
whatever  may  be  its  date,  recognizes  dispersion 
and  homelessness  as  their  destiny  (Gen.  49  : 7). 

9-15.  The  divine  arrangement  regarding  the 
cities  of  refuge  is  among  tlie  most  interesting  spe- 
cimens of  jurisprudence  in  the  Old  Testament. 
It  is  legislation  in  view  of  a  very  ancient  custom 


Ch.  XXXV.] 


NUMBERS 


139 


11  Then  ye  shall  appoint  you  cities  to  be  cities  of 
refuge  for  you ;  that  the  slayer  may  flee  thilher, 
which  killeth  any  person  at  unawares. 

12  And  they  shall  be  unto  you  cities  for  refuge 
from  the  avenger  ;  that  the  manslayer  die  not,  until 
he  stand  before  the  congregation  in  judgment. 

13  And  of  these  cities  which  ye  shall  give  six 
cities  shall  ye  have  for  refuge. 

14  Ye  shall  give  three  cities  on  this  side  Jordan, 
and  three  cities  shall  ye  give  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
which  shall  be  cities  of  refuge. 

15  These  six  cities  shall  be  a  refuge,  both  for  the 
children  of  Israel,  and  for  the  stranger,  and  for  tlie 
sojourner  among  them  :  that  every  one  that  killeth 
any  person  unawares  may  flee  thither. 

16  And  if  he  smite  him  with  an  instrument  of 
iron,  so  that  he  die,  he  is  a  murderer  :  the  murderer 
shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

17  Aud  if  he  smite  him  with  throwing  a  stone, 


11  Canaan,  then  ye  shall  appoint  you  cities  to  be 
cities  of  refuge  for  you ;  that  the  manslayer 
which  killeth  any  person  uuwiltingly  may  flee 

12  thither.  And  the  cities  shall  be  unto  vou  for 
refuge  from  the  avenger;  that  the  manslayer 
die  not,  until  he  stand  before  the  congregaliou 

13  for  judgment.  And  the  cities  which  ye  shall 
give  shall  be  for  you  six  cities  of  refuge.     Ye 

14  shall  give  three  cities  beyond  Jordan,  and 
three  cities  shall  ye  give  in  the  land  of  Canaan  ; 

15  they  shall  be  cities  of  refuge.  For  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  for  the  stranger  and  f(jr  the  so- 
journer among  them,  shall  the.se  six  cities  be  for 
refuge  :   that  every  one  that  killeth  any  person 

IG  unwittingly  may  flee  thither.  But  if  he  smote 
him  with  an  instrument  of  iron,  so  that  he  dii.d, 
he  is  a  manslayer:  the  manslayer  shall  surely 

17  be  put  to  death.    And  if  he  smote  him  with  a 


whose  liability  to  wrongs  and  abuses  needed  to 
be  checked.  This  was  the  custom  of  private 
vengeance,  or  the  duty  of  the  next  of  kin  to 
exact  the  penalty  of  blood  for  blood  in  the  case 
of  a  death  by  violence.  The  Go^el ,  or  conser- 
vator of  the  kinsman's  interests  (see  Lev.  25  :  25, 
seq.,  47,  seq.),  was,  in  the  case  of  a  kinsman  killed, 
more  strictly  denominated  the  CIH  /^J,  Qoel 
haddam,  or  avenger  of  blood ;  and  he  was  the 
one  on  whom  rested  the  responsibility  of  retri- 
bution. This  ancient  and  deep-rooted  custom 
among  the  Semitic  peoples  is  not  to  be  looked 
upon  as  a  survival  of  primitive  savagery  and 
cruelty,  but  rather  as  the  earliest  provision  for 
safeguarding  life  and  securing  genuine  and  se- 
rious justice.  As  a  moral  duty  which  might 
often  prove  onerous  and  expensive,  rather  than 
a  mere  letting  loose  of  violent  passions,  the  act 
of  the  Goel  may  be  said  to  have  been  com- 
manded by  God  and  binding  on  the  conscience 
like  any  act  of  religion.  "In  however  rude 
and  uncertain  a  form,  .  .  the  law  of  goel  was  a 
true  germ  of  civilized  justice  which,  sanguinary 
for  the  moment,  seized  hold  of  the  true  judicial 
scope  of  security  for  the  future ;  and  by  the  ter- 
ror of  death  protected  human  life"  (Mozley, 
"  Ruling  Ideas  in  Early  Ages  ").  At  the  same 
time  this  custom  was  one  which,  by  reason  of 
its  undue  subserviency  to  passion  and  its  inade- 
quate provision  for  the  judicial  investigation  of 
facts,  must  necessarily  be  superseded,  as  civili- 
zation passed  from  the  nomadic  into  the  more 
settled  form,  by  a  better  mode  of  procedure. 
Such  a  deep-rooted  and  binding  custom,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  eradicated  at  once.  The  ap- 
pointment of  cities  of  refuge  was  the  beginning 
of  a  divine  education  of  public  sentiment  which 
would  gradually  do  away  with  the  custom  of 
private  vengeance  by  its  own  inherent  power. 
It  still  recognized  the  avenger  of  blood  as  the 
executioner  in  the  case  of  an  actual  premedi- 
tated murder,  but  it  subtly  shifted  the  central 


enormity  of  the  crime  in  the  people's  conception 
from  the  deed  to  the  intention.  Such  an  insist- 
ence on  an  investigation  of  the  manslayer's  in- 
tention could  not  but  result,  in  the  course  of  the 
generations,  in  a  state  of  feeling  which  would 
make  the  general  habit  of  x>rivate  revenge 
utterly  out  of  place. 

These  cities  of  refuge  were  for  the  benefit  of 
the  person  who  had  killed  a  man  at  unawares, 
or,  unintentionally  (ver.  a),  whether  he  was  an 
actual  Israelite  or  a  foreigner  (vtr.  15).  They  se- 
cured him  from  the  avenger  until  he  could  have 
a  trial  (ver.  12).  This  appointment  of  cities  of 
refuge  is  anticipated  in  the  legislation  of  the 
book  of  the  Covenant  (Exod.  21  :  i3)  ;  and  there 
are  signs  in  that  early  legislation  that,  previous 
to  their  appointment,  the  altar  of  Jehovah 
sometimes   afforded   the   privilege  of  asylum 

(ibid.,   14;   cf.   1  Kings   1  :  50  ;   2  :  28).      There    WCre   tO 

be  six  of  these  cities  (^er.  is),  three  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Jordan,  and  three  on  the  west  side  (ver.  u). 
The  book  of  Deuteronomy  makes  provision  for 
only  three  cities  at  first,  and  conditions  the  add- 
ing of  three  more  on  the  completer  subduing 
of  the  land  (Deut.  i9  :  2,  9).  In  the  sub.sequent 
carrying  out  of  the  provisions  of  the  law,  the 
cities  actually  chosen,  according  to  Josh.  20  :  7, 
8,  were  Kedesh,  Shecliem,  and  Hebron  in  west 
Palestine,  and  Bezer,  rtunioth-gikad.and  Golau 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Jordan. 

16-21.  The  law  regarding  the  cities  of  refuge 
is  repeated  in  Deut.  19  : 1-11,  and  also  in  Josh.  20 : 
1-6.  In  the  section  befiu-e  us  tliose  persons  are 
described  who  cannot  claim  the  benefit  of  its 
provisions.  They  are  those  whose  act  of  man- 
slaughter shows  prima  fade  evidence  of  having 
been  committed  intentionally ;  and  the  pre- 
sumption of  purpose  is  made  to  turn  very 
largely  on  the  possession  of  a  weapon  or  the 
deliberate  act  of  plotting.  If  the  deed  was  done 
with  an  instrument  of  iron  (ver.  le),  or  with 
a  stone  (ver.  n),  or  with  a  weapon  of  wood 


140 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXV. 


wherewith  he  may  die,  and  he  die,  he  is  a  mur- 
derer :  the  murderer  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

18  Or  if  he  smite  him  with  an  hand  weapon  of 
wood,  wherewith  he  may  die,  and  he  die,  he  is  a 
murderer :  the  murderer  shall  surely  be  put  to 
death. 

19  The  revenger  of  blood  himself  shall  slay  the 
murderer:  when  he  meeteth  him,  he  shall  slay 
him. 

20  But  if  he  thrust  him  of  hatred,  or  hurl  at  him 
by  laying  of  wait,  that  he  die  ; 

21  Or  in  enmity  smite  him  with  his  hand,  that  he 
die  :  he  that  smote  him  shall  surely  be  put  to  death  ; 
for  he  is  a  murderer :  the  revenger  of  blood  shall 
slay  the  murderer,  when  he  meeteth  him. 

22  But  if  he  thrust  him  suddenly  without  en- 
mity, or  have  cast  upon  him  any  thing  without 
laying  of  wait, 

23  Or  with  any  stone,  wherewith  a  man  may 
die,  seeing  him  not,  and  cast  it  upon  him,  that  he 
die,  and  was  not  his  enemy,  neither  sought  his 
harm : 

21  Then  the  congregation  shall  judge  between 
the  slayer  and  the  revenger  of  blood  according  to 
these  judgments  : 

25  And  the  congregation  shall  deliver  the  slayer 
out  of  the  hand  of  the  revenger  of  blood,  and  the 
congregation  shall  restore  him  to  the  city  of  his 
refuge,  whither  he  was  fled  :  and  he  shall  abide  in 
it  unto  the  deatli  of  the  high  priest,  which  was 
anointed  with  the  holy  oil. 

26  But  if  the  slayer  shall  at  any  time  come  with- 
out the  border  of  the  city  of  his  refuge,  whither  he 
was  fled ; 


stone  in  the  hand,  whereby  a  man  may  die,  and 
he  died,  he  is  a  manslayer':  the  manslayer  shall 

18  surely  be  put  to  death.  Or  if  he  smote  him  with 
a  weapon  of  wood  in  the  band,  whereby  a  man 
may  die,  and  he  died,  he  is  a  manslayer:   the 

19  manslayer  shall  surely  be  put  to  death.  The 
avenger  of  blood  shall  himself  put  the  man- 
slayer to  death  :  when  he  meeteth  him,  he  shall 

20  put  him  to  death.  And  if  he  thrust  him  of 
hatred,  or  hurled  at  him,  lying  in  wait,  so  that 

21  he  died  ;  or  in  enmity  smote  him  with  his  hand, 
that  he  died  :  he  that  smote  him  shall  surely  be 
put  to  death  ;  he  is  a  manslayer :  the  avenger  of 
blood  shall  put  the  manslayer  to  death,  when 

22  he  meeteth  him.  But  if  he  thrust  him  suddenly 
without  enmity,  or  hurled  upon  him  any  thing 

23  without  lying  in  wait,  or  with  any  stone,  where- 
by a  man  may  die,  seeing  him  not,  and  cast  it 
upon  him,  so  that  he  died,  and  he  was  not  his 

24  enemy,  neither  sought  his  harm :  then  the  con- 
gregation shall  judge  between  the  smiter  and 
the  avenger  of  blood  according  to  these  judge- 

25  ments :  and  the  congregation  shall  deliver  the 
manslayer  out  of  the  hand  of  the  avenger  of 
blood,  and  the  congregation  shall  restore  him 
to  his  city  of  refuge,  whither  he  was  fled  :  and 
he  shall  dwell  therein  until  the  death  of  the 
high  priest,  which  was  anointed  with  the  holy 

26  oil.  But  if  the  manslayer  shall  at  any  time  go 
beyond  the  border  of  his  city  of  refuge,  whither 


(ver.  18),  there  is  a  strong  presumption  that  tlie 
perpetrator  of  it  deliberately  possessed  himself  of 
the  weapon  for  the  purpose,  and  that  he  is  there- 
fore a  murderer.  Again,  if  he  took  steps  to  come 
upon  his  victim  unawares  (^er.  20) ,  or  gave  signs 
of  having  done  the  act  in  hatred  (ver.  20, 21),  even 
though  he  had  no  weapon  in  his  hand,  these 
signs  of  premeditation  and  evil  motive  must  be 
taken  as  proving  him  a  murderer.  As  such  he 
is  simply  at  the  mercy  of  the  avenger  of  blood, 
who  is  to  act  as  his  executioner  wherever  he 
may  meet  him  (ver.  19).  In  the  statement  of  the 
law  in  Deuteronomy  the  rules  of  evidence  are 
not  so  fully  given,  but  the  judgment  of  inten- 
tion is  made  to  turn  on  the  presence  or  absence 
of  hatred,  and  the  provision  is  made  that  even 
if  the  murderer  seeks  the  protection  of  the  city 
of  refuge,  he  shall  be  brought  forth  by  the 
elders  of  that  city  and  delivered  over  to  the 
avenger  (ceut.  19  :  11,  12). 

22-38.  We  come  now  to  the  cases  of  man- 
slaughter which  furnish  the  occasion  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  cities  of  refuge.  These  are  cases 
where  the  absence  of  any  intention  to  do  the  slain 
person  any  harm  may  presumably  be  established. 
Not  a  complete  list  of  the  forms  which  the  act 
that  is  innocent  of  evil  intent  may  assume,  but 
only  instances  or  examples  of  unintentional 
homicide,  are  given.  They  are  such  cases  as  a 
suddenly  provoked  assault  which  has  a  more 
serious  result  than  was  intended  (ver.  22) ,  or  an 
unpremeditated  hurling  of  a  heavy  object,  or  the 


letting  fall  of  a  stone  on  a  person  without  seeing 
him  (ver.  23),  and  the  Deuteronomist  instances, 
perhaps  from  experience  of  an  actual  case,  the 
felling  of  wood  with  a  companion,  and  the  ac- 
cidental causing  of  his  death  through  the  ax 
head's  becoming  detached  from  the  helve  (Deut. 
19  :  5).  The  legal  procedure  for  the  manslayer  is 
simply  to  flee  from  the  avenger  and  gain  the 
shelter  of  the  city  of  refuge  if  possible  before  he 
is  overtaken  (Deut.  i9:5),  as  the  avenger  incurs 
no  guilt  for  smiting  him  mortally  "  while  his 
heart  is  hot,"  even  where  the  deed  which  has 
angered  him  was  accidental  or  unintentional 
(ibid.,  6),  since  the  whole  responsibility  of  deter- 
mining the  intention  rests  with  the  congregation. 
The  congregation  or  court  (ver.  24)  which  is  to 
judge  between  the  smiter  and  the  avenger  of 
blood  is  evidently  some  tribunal  in  the  neigh- 
borhood where  the  deed  was  committed,  or  at 
least  somewhere  outside  of  the  city  of  refuge,  as 
this  court  is  evidently  responsible  for  "restor- 
ing "  the  exonerated  culprit  to  his  city  of  refuge 
after  the  trial  (ver.  25).  The  passage  in  Joshua 
specifies  the  preliminary  steps  to  be  taken  by 
the  fugitive,  which  are  :  to  make  formal  request 
of  the  elders  of  the  city  for  admission  (Josh.  20 : 4) , 
and  then  to  remain  in  the  shelter  of  the  city  until 
he  can  appear  before  the  congregation  (ibid.,  6). 
Even  after  acquittal,  however,  the  culprit  is  se- 
cure only  on  condition  he  remains  in  the  city  of 
refuge,  at  least  until  the  death  of  the  high  priest 
then  in  office  (ver.  25).    If  the  avenger  finds  him 


Ch.  XXXV.] 


NUMBEES 


141 


27  And  the  revenger  of  blood  find  him  without 
the  borders  of  the  city  of  his  refuge,  and  the  re- 
venger of  blood  kill  the  slayer;  he  sliull  not  be 
guilty  of  blood : 

28  JBecause  he  should  have  remained  in  the  city 
of  his  refuge  until  the  death  of  the  high  priest: 
but  after  the  death  of  the  high  priest  the  slayer 
shall  return  into  the  land  of  his  possession. 

29  So  these  things  shall  be  for  a  statute  of  judg- 
ment unto  you  throughout  your  generations  in  all 
your  dwellings. 

30  Whoso  killeth  any  person,  the  murderer  shall 
be  put  to  death  by  the  mouth  of  witnesses :  but 
one  witness  shall  not  testify  against  any  person  to 
cause  him  to  die. 

31  Moreover  ye  shall  take  no  satisfaction  for  the 
life  of  a  murderer,  which  is  guilty  of  death:  but 
he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. 

32  And  ye  shall  take  no  satisfaction  for  him  that 
is  fled  to  the  city  of  his  refuge,  that  he  should  come 
again  to  dwell  in  the  land,  until  the  death  of  the 
priest. 

33  So  ye  shall  not  pollute  the  land  wherein  ye 
are:  for  blood  it  defileth  the  land :  and  the  laud 
cannot  be  cleansed  of  the  blood  that  is  shed  there- 
in, but  by  the  blood  of  him  that  shed  it. 

34  Defile  not  therefore  the  land  which  ye  shall 
inhabit,  wherein  I  dwell :  for  I  the  Lord  dwell 
among  the  children  of  Israel. 


27  he  fleeth  ;  and  the  avenger  of  blood  find  him 
without  the  border  of  his  city  of  refuge,  and  the 
avenger  of  blood  slay  tlie  manslaver;  he  shall 

28  not  be  guilty  of  blood  ;  because  he"  should  have 
remained  in  his  city  of  refuge  until  the  death 
of  the  high  priest:  but  after  the  death  of  the 
high  priest  the  manslayer  shall  return  into  the 

29  land  of  his  possession.  And  these  things  shall 
be  for  a  statute  of  judgement  unto  you  through- 
out   your  generations    in    all    your   dwellings. 

30  Whoso  killetli  any  person,  the  manslayer  shall 
be  slain  at  the  mouth  of  witne.s,ses  :  but  one  wit- 
ness shall  not  testify  against  anv  person  that  he 

31  die.  Moreover  ye  shall  take  no  ransom  for  the 
life  of  a  manslayer,  which  is  guiltv  of  death: 

32  but  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death.  And  ye 
shall  take  no  ransom  for  him  that  is  fled  to  his 
city  of  refuge,  that  he  should  come  again  to 
dwell  in  the  land,  until  the  death  of  the  priest. 

33  So  ye  shall  not  pollute  the  land  wherein  ye  are  : 
for  blood,  it  polluteth  the  land  :  and  no  expia- 
tion can  be  made  for  the  land  for  the  blood  that 
is  shed  therein,  but  by  the  blood  of  hiiu  that 

34  shed  it.  And  thou  shalt  not  defile  the  land 
which  ye  inhabit,  in  the  midst  of  which  I  dwell : 
for  I  the  Lord  dwell  in  the  midst  of  the  children 
of  Israel. 


abroad  and  kills  him,  he  incurs  no  guilt  (ver.  26, 
2" ) ,  as  not  even  the  acquittal  of  his  ^  aversary  is 
thought  of  as  making  any  moral  appeal  to  him, 
but  only  as  entitling  the  slayer  to  physical  pro- 
tection. On  a  change  of  the  high-priestly  ad- 
ministration the  exonerated  homicide  may  re- 
turn to  his  own  possession  in  peace  (ver.  28).  It 
is  not  clear  that  the  significance  of  the  high 
priest's  death  as  a  terminating  epoch  is  derived 
from  any  expiatory  virtue  in  that  death,  nor  can 
we  without  the  suspicion  of  fancifulness  find  in 
it  a  type  of  the  death  of  Christ.  "  The  duration 
of  his  term  of  office,  like  that  of  the  reign  of  a 
king,  represents  a  completed  period  of  the  theo- 
cratic life  ;  what  happens  in  that  period  has  its 
continuance  until  his  retirement,  and  his  suc- 
cessor is  the  first  to  introduce  changes  (cf.  isa.  23 : 
15)  "  (Dillmann).  During  the  period  before 
the  monarchy  the  high  priest's  term  of  office 
would  be  the  only  official  era  whose  termination 
could  serve  as  an  epoch  marking  the  appropriate 
time  for  changes  and  readjustments.  The  same 
is  true  for  the  whole  time  of  the  nation's  life  after 
the  exile,  during  which  these  laws  of  the  Penta- 
teuch were  compiled  and  codified.  During  the 
time  of  the  monarchy  the  reign  of  an  anointed 
king  would  perhaps  throw  the  high  priest's 
time  of  office  somewhat  into  the  backgromid  as 
a  time-marking  epoch. 

29-34,  The  foregoing  legislation  is  pro- 
nounced a  statute  of  judgment  (cf.  27:11)  valid 
&r  Israel  in  all  ages  and  places  (ver.  29) .  Then  fol- 
lows the  universal  rule  regarding  testimony  that 
a  murderer  can  be  sentenced  to  death  only  on  the 
testimony  of  witnesses,  i.  e.,  more  tlian  one 
(ver.  oO)^  or,  as  Deuteronomy  states  it,  at  least  two 


or  three  witnesses  (oeut.  n  :  c;  19  :  15).  This  rule 
was  applied  not  only  in  cases  of  murder,  but  in 
all  capital  cases,  such  as  high-handed  transgres- 
sion in  contempt  of  the  law  (Heb.  10  :  28),  or  blas- 
phemy ;  and  it  will  recur  to  the  reader  with 
what  painstaking  scrupulosity  the  chief  priests 
delayed  the  trial  of  Jesus  until  two  witnesses 
could  be  found  (Matt.  26  :  60).  The  converse  of 
the  rule  came  often  to  be  asserted  rhetorically 
as  a  principle  governing  all  determination  of 
truth,  namely,  that  the  testimony  of  two  wit- 
nesses could  establish  any  statement  of  fact  (see 
2  Cor.  13:1;  John  8: 17).  A  still  uiorc  important  prin- 
ciple of  Hebrew  criminal  jurisprudence  comes 
to  light  in  ver.  31,  and  that  is,  that  the  crime  of 
bloodshed  does  not  admit  of  satisfaction  by  a 
fine.  In  the  Hebrew  mind  there  was  a  very 
deep-seated  horror  of  blood.  The  whole  system 
of  slain  sacrifices  was  founded  on  the  principle 
that  the  blood  is  the  life ;  and  blood  shed  was 
thought  of  as  polluting  the  ground  (ver.  ss,  34),  or 
crying  out  to  Jehovah  for  vengeance  ("en.  4  :  in). 
Even  in  the  case  of  a  person  being  found  slain 
in  the  field,  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  prescribed 
for  the  elders  of  the  nearest  city  a  solemn  cere- 
mony of  purgation,  a  disclaiming  of  guilt,  and 
prayer  for  the  averting  of  the  divine  judgment 
(Deut.  21  :  1-9).  The  cuormity  of  allowing  tlie 
land  to  be  defiled  by  unavenged  blood  is  still 
further  enhanced  by  the  consideration  that  Je- 
hovah tabernacles  in  the  land  of  Israel  (ver.  34), 
and  so  renders  it  holy.  No  expiation  can  be 
made  for  that  land  when  defiled  by  outpoured 
blood  except  by  the  blood  of  him  that  shed 
it  (ver.  33).  It  was  a  principle  so  fundamental  aa 
to  be  referred  by  Scripture  writers  to  the  times 


142 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXVI. 


CHAPTER    XXXVI. 


1  And  the  chief  fathers  of  the  families  of  the 
childieu  of  Gilead,  the  son  of  Machir,  the  son  of 
Mauasseh,  of  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Joseph, 
came  near,  and  spake  before  Moses,  and  before  tlie 
princes,  the  chief  fathers  of  tlie  children  of  Israel : 

2  And  they  said,  ttie  Lord  commanded  my  lord 
t(i  give  the  land  for  an  inheritance  by  lot  to  the 
children  of  Israel :  and  my  lord  was  commanded 
by  the  Lord  to  give  the  inheritance  of  Zelophehad 
our  bi'other  unto  his  daughters. 

3  And  if  they  be  married  to  any  of  the  sons  of 
the  other  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  then  shall 
their  inheritance  be  taken  from  the  inheritance  of 
our  fathers,  and  shall  be  put  to  the  inheritance  of 
the  tribe  vvhereunto  they  are  received  :  so  shall  it 
be  taken  from  the  lot  of  our  inheritance. 


1  AND  the  heads  of  the  fathers'  houses  of  the 
family  of  the  children  of  Gilead,  the  son  of 
Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  of  the  families  of 
the  sons  of  Joseph,  came  near,  and  spake  before 
Moses,  and  before  the  princes,  the  heads  of  the 

2  fathers'  hovses  of  the  children  of  Israel :  and 
they  said.  The  Lord  commanded  my  lord  to  give 
the  land  for  inheritance  by  lot  to  the  children 
of  Israel  :  and  my  lord  was  commanded  by  tlie 
Lord  to  give  the  inheritance  of  Zelophehad  our 

3  brother  unto  his  daughters.  And  if  they  be 
married  to  any  of  the  sons  of  the  oi/ier  tribes  of 
the  children  of  Israel,  then  shall  their  inher- 
itance be  taken  away  from  the  inheritance  of 
our  fathers,  and  shall  be  added  to  the  inher- 
itance of  the  tribe  whereunto  they  shall  belong  : 
so  shall  it  be  taken  away  from  the  lot  of  our  iu- 


of  Noah,  that  "  whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by 
man  shall  his  blood  be  shed"  (Gen.  9:6).  The  per- 
mission of  satisfaction  by  a  fine  would  be  a  denial 
of  this  principle,  and  would  give  a  play  to  avarice 
in  the  administration  of  justice  which  might  in 
some  cases  result  in  the  utter  subversion  of  right. 
This  safeguarding  against  avarice  dictates  the 
prohibition  of  any  money  satisfaction  or  bribe  as 
a  substitute  for  the  irksome  imprisonment  of  the 
manslayer  in  his  city  of  refuge  until  the  high 
priest's  death  (ver.  32).  Many  would  no  doubt  be 
willing  to  give  large  sums  to  be  permitted  to 
dwell  at  large,  but  in  Hebrew  thought  this  would 
be  a  perversion  of  justice. 

"  Mahomet  endeavored  to  mitigate  the  law  of 
goel,  which  was  often  dangerous  to  innocence ; 
but  unfortunately  he  began  at  the  wrong  end. 
For,  instead  of  enjoining  a  previous  investiga- 
tion, that  an  innocent  person  might  not  suffer 
instead  of  the  guilty,  he  recommended  as  an  act 
of  mercy,  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God,  the  ac- 
ceptance of  a  pecuniary  compensation  from  the 
actual  murderer,  in  lieu  of  revenge.  His  words 
are :  '  In  cases  of  murder,  retaliation  is  pre- 
scribed to  the  faithful,  so  that  freemen  must  die 
for  freemen,  slave  for  slave,  wife  for  wife.  But 
when  a  man's  nearest  kinsman  departs  from 
that  right,  he  has  a  just  claim  against  the  mur- 
derer for  a  moderate  compensation  in  money,  the 
acceptance  of  which  is  an  alleviation  of  the 
crime  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  an  act  of  mercy. 
But  if  he  afterwards  oversteps  this  rule'  {i.  e., 
by  killing  the  person  to  whom  he  has  remitted 
the  murder),  'God  will  punish  him  severely. 
For  the  security  of  your  lives  rests  on  the  right 
of  retaliation'  "  (Mozley). 

Among  the  Hebrews  at  least,  the  modern  con- 
ception of  murder  as  a  crime  whose  punishment 
is  solely  a  matter  of  public  concern  has  emerged 
from  the  old  blind  feeling  of  the  enormity  of 
bloodshed  largely  through  the  educating  influ- 
ence of  the  law  of  the  cities  of  refuge. 


Chap.  36.  Ordinance  in  regard  to  the 
MARRIAGE  OF  HEIRESSES.  1-4.  The  suit  be- 
fore Moses  is  brought  by  the  "  heads  of  fathers," 
i.  e.,  prominent  or  distinguished  fathers,  of 
the  family  of  Gilead,  who  was  descended  from 
Machir  of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  (ver.  1).  It  was 
to  this  line  that  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad 
belonged  {'^^  ■  s^),  and  these  women  by  special 
request,  their  father  being  no  longer  alive,  had 
become  heiresses  in  their  own  right  (see  27  :  1-11). 
The  tribal  feeling  in  this  family  of  Gilead  was 
very  strong.  These  children  of  Machir  were 
rejoicing  in  an  inheritance  already  confirmed 
to  them  according  to  their  choice  and  without 
the  intervention  of  the  lot.  This  Gilead  land 
had  come  into  their  power  before  they  made  re- 
quest to  have  it  legally  secured  to  them  by  Mo- 
ses, and  that  by  their  own  independent  prowess 
rather  than  by  the  fortunes  of  the  combined 
tribes,  as  had  the  territory  given  to  Reuben  and 

Gad    (see  32  :  34-42,  and   com.),        go    strong    a    clau 

spirit  had  divided  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  into 
two  half-tribes  inheriting  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  Jordan,  and  had  almost  raised  the  family  of 
Machir  to  the  dignity  of  a  tribe.  Ambitious  to 
compact  and  perpetuate  a  separate  name,  it  was 
natural  that  these  people  should  be  very  tena- 
cious of  tlieir  tribal  holdings,  and  should  watch 
the  intentions  and  movements  of  these  landed 
heiresses  of  Zelophehad's  stock  very  closely. 
They  came  before  Moses  and  the  princes  of  the 
children  of  Israel — to  which  the  LXX  add  "  and 
before  Eleazar  the  priest,"  as  in  27  :  2 — and  re- 
counting the  decision  made  with  regard  to  the 
daughters  of  Zelophehad  (ver.  2 ;  cf.  27 :  7j,  pointed 
out  the  damage  which  might  be  inflicted  on 
their  cherished  domain  in  case  these  heiresses 
married  out  of  their  own  tribe  (ver.  3).  It  was 
feared  that  these  women  would  be  obliged  or 
induced  to  annex  their  inheritance  to  the  tribe 
into  which  they  might  marry,  although  the  ex- 
ample of  an  heiress  bringing  a  husband  from 


Ch.  :s:xxvi.] 


NUMBERS 


143 


4  And  when  the  jubile  of  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  be,  then  sliall  their  inheritance  be  put  unto 
the  inheritance  of  the  trilje  whereunto  they  are  re- 
ceived :  so  shall  their  inheritance  be  taken  away 
from  the  inheritance  of  tlie  tribe  of  our  fathers. 

5  And  Moses  commanded  tne  children  of  Israel 
according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  saying,  The 
tribe  of  the  sous  of  Joseph  hath  said  well. 

6  This  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  doth  command 
concerning  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad,  saying, 
Let  them  marry  to  whom  they  think  best;  only  to 
the  family  of  the  tribe  of  their  father  shall  they 
marry. 

7  So  shall  not  the  inheritance  of  the  children  of 
Israel  remove  from  tribe  to  tribe:  for  every  one  of 
the  children  of  Israel  shall  keep  himself  to  the 
inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  his  fathers. 

8  And  every  daughter,  that  possesseth  an  inher- 
itance in  any"  tribe  of  the  children  of  Israel,  shall 
be  wife  unto  one  of  the  family  of  the  tribe  of  her 
father,  that  the  children  of  Israel  may  enjoy  every 
man  the  inheritance  of  his  fathers. 

9  Neither  shall  the  inheritance  remove  from  one 
tribe  to  another  tribe  ;  but  every  one  of  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  keep  himself  to  his 
own  inheritance. 

10  Even  as  the  Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  did 
the  daughters  ef  Zelophehad : 


4  heritance.  And  when  the  jubile  of  the  children 
of  Israel  shall  be,  then  shall  their  inheritance 
be  added  unto  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe 
whereunto  they  shall  belong:  so  shall  their  in- 
heritance lie  taken  away  from  ihe  iuheriianee 

5  of  the  tribe  of  our  fathers.  And  Moses  cuui- 
manded  the  children  of  Israel  according  to  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  saying.  The  tribe  of  the  .sons  of 

6  Joseph  speaketh  right.  This  is  the  thing  which 
the  Lord  doth  command  concerning  the  daugh- 
ters of  Zelophehad,  saying.  Let  them  marry  to 
whom  they  ihink  best ;  only  uuhu  family  oi  the 

7  tribe  of  their  lather  shall  they  marry,  ."^o  shall 
no  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Israel  remove 
from  tribe  to  tribe :  for  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  cleave  every  one  to  the  inheritance  of  the 

8  tribe  of  his  fathers.  And  every  daughter,  lliat 
possesseth  an  inheritance  in  any  tribe  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  shall  be  wife  unto  one  of  ihe 
family  of  the  tribe  of  her  father,  ihat  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  may  possess  every  man  the  in- 

9  heritance  of  his  fathers.  SoshaH'no  inheritance 
remove  from  one  tribe  to  another  tribe  ;  for  the 
tribes  of   the  children  of    Israel    shall    cleave 

10  every  one  to  his  own  inheritance.  Even  as  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses,  so  did  the  daughters 


another  tribe  and  reckoning  the  descendants  as 
Manassites  was  not  unknown  in  this  very  fam- 
ily (see  com.  ou  27  :  1-5).  Uncertain  of  the  power 
of  tribal  loyalty  to  withstand  the  impulses  of 
maidenly  affection,  these  men  wanted  some 
decision  which  would  make  the  passing  of  al- 
lotted estates  from  tribe  to  tribe  impossible.  Tlie 
permanent  alienation  of  the  property  from  the 
tribe  is  not  thought  of  as  actually  effected  until 
the  jubilee  (ver.  4)^  because,  although  "strictly 
speaking,  the  hereditary  property  would  pass 
at  once,  when  the  marriage  took  place,  to  the 
tribe  into  which  an  heiress  married,"  yet,  "  up 
to  the  year  of  jubilee  it  was  always  possible  that 
the  hereditary  property  might  revert  to  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  either  through  the  marriage 
being  childless,  or  through  the  purchase  of  the 
inheritance.  But  in  the  year  of  jubilee  all 
landed  property  that  had  been  alienated  was  to 
return  to  its  original  proprietor  or  his  heir  (Lev. 
25  :  13,  seq.).  In  tliis  way  the  transfer  of  an  in- 
heritance from  one  tribe  to  another,  which  took 
place  in  consequence  of  a  marriage,  would  be 
established  in  perpetuity  "  (Keil). 

5-9.  On  listening  to  his  suitors'  representa- 
tion— no  mention  being  made  in  this  case,  as  in 
27  :  5,  of  the  matter  being  brought  before  Je- 
hovah— Moses  returned  judgment  that  the  ar- 
gument of  the  tribe  of  Joseph's  descendants  was 
"so"  (ver.  5;  cf.  27  :  7),  or  reasonable.  Observe 
how  in  this  matter  of  tribal  inheritance  Moses 
takes  no  official  cognizance  of  families,  but  only 
of  tribes.  These  suitors  are  the  tribe  of  the 
sons  of  Joseph.  The  decision  rendered 
is  that  these  daughters  of  Zelophehad  may 
marry  whom  they  choose,  but  only  wdthin  tlieir 


tribe  (ver.  6),  and  that  this  rule  must  be  followed 
by  all  heiresses  of  whatever  tribe  (v^r.  a),  that 
thus  the  transfer  of  hereditary  proi)erty  from 
tribe  to  tribe  may  be  prevented,  it  being  a 
primary  consideration  that  every  one  shall 
cleave  to  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  his 
fathers  (ver.  7,  9).  This  appears  to  be  a  very  de- 
cided fostering  of  the  isolated  clan  spirit,  and 
possibly  an  arrangement  which,  retained  in 
force  too  long  and  too  tenaciou.sly,  delayed  the  co- 
alescence of  tribal  feeling  intoaunified  national 
spirit,  "  The  arrangement  was  perhaps  inevit- 
able ;  yet  it  certainly  belonged  to  a  primitive 
social  order.  The  homogeneity  of  the  people 
would  have  been  helped  and  the  tribes  held 
more  closely  together  by  intercliange  of  land. 
In  every  law  made  at  an  early  stage  of  a  peo- 
ple's development  there  is  involved  something 
unsuitable  to  after  periods.  And  perhaps  one 
error  made  by  the  Israelites  was  to  cling  too 
long  and  too  closely  to  tribal  descent  and  make 
too  much  of  genealogy  "  (R.  A.  Watson).  All 
this,  however,  is  consonant  with  the  genius  of 
the  Jewish  people  manifested  not  only  in  na- 
tional life  but  in  a  religion  whose  note  is  purity, 
isolation,  dread  of  defilement,  rather  than  dif- 
fusion and  leavening  influence^ — a  religion 
which  could  not  give  way  in  the  naticui  to  the 
saving  and  self-diffusing  spirit  of  Chri-st,  but  re- 
jected and  crucified  him  in  the  interest  of  its 
own  isolation,  and  so  relinquished  the  task  of 
the  world's  salvation  to  others. 

10-13.  In  accordance  with  the  decision  of 
■\Ioses  these  daughters  of  Zelophehad  married 
their  cousins  (ver.  n),  and  .so  secured  their  in- 
heritance   to    their    patriotic    and    ambitious 


144 


NUMBERS 


[Ch.  XXXVL 


11  For  Mahlah,  Tirzah,  and  Hoglah,  and  Milcah, 
and  Noah,  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad,  were 
married  unto  their  father's  brothers'  sons  : 

12  And  they  were  married  into  the  families  of 
the  sons  of  Manassah  the  son  of  Joseph,  and  their 
inheritance  remained  in  tlie  tribe  of  the  family  of 
their  father. 

13  These  are  the  commandments  and  the  judg- 
ments, which  the  Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of 
Moses  unto  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  plains  of 
Moab  by  Jordan  near  Jericho. 


11  of  Zelophehad  :  for  Mahlah,  Tirzah,  and  Hoglah, 
and  Milcah,  and  Noah,  the  daughters  of  Ze- 
lophehad,   were    married    unto    their   fathers' 

12  brothers'  sons.  They  were  married  into  the 
families  of  the  sons  of  Manasseh  the  son  of 
Joseph,  and  their  inheritance  remained  in  the 
tribe  of  the  family  of  their  father. 

13  These  are  the  commandments  and  the  judge- 
ments, which  the  Lord  commanded  by  the  hand 
of  Moses  unto  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  plains 
of  Moab  by  the  Jordan  at  Jericho. 


tribe  (ver.  12).  The  whole  concludes  with  a 
supplementary  title  classifying  this  decision, 
along  with  the  others  that  are  grouped  with  it 


(see  33  :  50;  35  :  i),  as  those  prior  and  important 
enactments  of  Mosaic  law  which  were  framed  in 
Arboth-moab  (ver.  13). 


Date  Due 

;AGUUT- 

Lf*«»' 

\.'  smi^iii^Am 

f) 

